Haroon Yusuf is 22. He arrived in South Africa in 2020 with the intention of finding work, stability, and a chance to build something better than what he left behind in Malawi.

For a time, that dream felt within reach. “I was working, but my employers had to let me go due to my not having relevant documents. It is sad, but I also understood.”

That sense of stability began to break down for him after the reports started doing rounds about how illegal immigrants must vacate the country. “I had to make that hard decision to go back to Malawi. For me, June 30 is the reason I am going back home.”

Read more: Police and community policing forums activate security plans ahead of June 30 marches

He said he has already informed his family in Malawi about his return. When asked whether he would ever consider coming back to South Africa, he does not close the door completely.

“Yes, but only when I fix my papers because they are the reason why I am going back home.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his speech on June 7, addressed concerns about illegal employment practices, warning that the government would intensify action against employers who hire undocumented foreign nationals.

“Every person who works in our country must be legally permitted to work.”

Also read: Sandton Community Policing Forum gears up ahead of June 30

Ramaphosa said some businesses are exploiting undocumented workers. “There are businesses in our country that employ undocumented immigrants because their legal status means that they cannot stand up for their rights.”

He said some of these employers hire undocumented immigrants because they pay them wages that are well below the minimum wage, and make them work longer hours without due compensation.

“We have uncovered a number of workplaces where undocumented migrants are made to labour under very bad conditions. Employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers and exploit their vulnerability are breaking the law.”

He said this behaviour undermines the country’s labour standards and fair competition. “They undermine opportunities for South Africans. Such conduct will attract far stronger penalties and far stricter enforcement.”

Ramaphosa also emphasised that the government will tighten enforcement measures, saying that authorities are going to increase the penalties, including imprisonment, for employers who violate the Immigration Act.

“We cannot have a situation where employers who, after being charged and found guilty of violating our laws, merely pay a fine and continue employing undocumented foreign nationals whom they exploit.”

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