SA political parties’ anti-immigrant election promises nothing but hot air

Political parties are only using the debate around xenophobia and illegal immigrants to bait voters, suggest experts who fundamentally disagree with the reasons behind the upsurge in anti-immigrant sentiment.

Over the past week, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and ActionSA have come under fire for taking bold stances on illegal immigration policy, framing the issue as a direct concern for service delivery in local government.

Political analyst Xolani Dube suggests political pandering towards residents with concerns about illegal immigration is superficial, at best, because neither local governments nor political parties have the power to resolve these issues and change illegal immigration policy.

Dube explained that since South Africa’s economy relied on cheap labour, of which illegal immigrants supply a large percentage, private business would continue to benefit from a narrative which refers to the poor’s concerns about immigration as xenophobic.

He reckons the term has been used to muzzle legitimate concerns voiced by those who live in impoverished areas populated by illegal immigrants and refugees, who compete with South Africans directly in the informal sector and in entry-level employment opportunities.

“There is no political organisation which has the power to stop illegal immigrants coming to South Africa. This is partly because they are an integral part of our economic set-up in relation to cheap labour,” says Dube.

He disagrees with critics of ActionSA’s Mashaba and the PA’s Gayton McKenzie in their accusations of xenophobia, saying those who perpetuate the idea that these ideas are xenophobic are speaking from a point of privilege and directly benefit from the cheap labour provided by foreign nationals, while the poor – whether immigrant or local – suffer together.

Immigrants and local government politics

In his 2021 election campaign as Johannesburg mayoral candidate for ActionSA, Mashaba has doubled down on his views about illegal immigration and has vowed to close down businesses that don’t hire South Africans.

He has been criticised on social media and by rival parties over fuelling xenophobia, but has nevertheless amassed a sizeable support base.

On the day after he resigned as Johannesburg mayor in October 2019 over alleged racism in the Democratic Alliance (DA) in October 2019, he took his controversial stance on the effects of illegal immigration in the city to Parliament.

Mashaba blamed (and continues to blame) illegal immigration for some of challenges local government experienced in delivering basic services and temporary emergency accommodation to residents.

Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi and his predecessors have since 2016 failed to work with the city to resolve these issues, despite numerous attempts by Mashaba to reach out to the ministry, he said at the time.

Launching the PA manifesto at the weekend, party leader McKenzie also vowed to “deal with” illegal immigrants the day after elections, should his party win the municipalities they are contesting.

He insists that he is not xenophobic, but in the same breath, wants “all illegal foreigners” deported as soon as he is in power.

WATCH: McKenzie says PA will deal with ‘illegal foreigners’ on 2 November

McKenzie is just the latest politician to tread the murky waters of illegal immigration policy in the 2021 local government elections race.

In 2019, the City of Ekurhuleni blamed illegal immigrants under its jurisdiction for challenges in service delivery. The municipality listed a litany of problems brought on by uncontrolled immigration, including overpopulation and unfair competition with locals for limited opportunities and limited resources.

Foreign-owned spaza shops have also been accused of selling expired and counterfeit goods, and engaging in unfair trading practices, with excessively low prices.

Politicians’ behaviour ‘inaccurate, cynical, dangerous

The Institute of Race Relations (IRR), which has conducted studies into the effects of immigration patterns in South Africa on the economy, accuses political parties of pandering to intrinsic biases rather than facts when it comes to illegal immigrants.

“It is inaccurate, cynical and dangerous to exploit rather than challenge flawed popular perceptions about foreigners living in South Africa. Illegal immigration is a symptom of deficient administration, and it doubtless needs attention,” says Michael Morris, head of media at the IRR.

He adds that research by the IRR is consistent in illustrating the positive economic contribution that immigrants make to South Africa, including job creation.

“Inflammatory and imprecise claims about foreigners in our midst have three unfortunate consequences: they detract from government and policy failures that have led to soaring unemployment and economic stagnation; they misplace the blame for deficient immigration administration on all immigrants, the bulk of whom are contributing positively to the country; and they stimulate xenophobic sentiments that can have lethal consequences.”

According to the South African Local Government Association (Salga) the perception that foreign migrants “steal” jobs from South Africans prevails, despite evidence showing that foreign businesses also create jobs for South Africans by becoming entrepreneurs.

Comparisons between South African-owned and foreign-owned small, medium and micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the Tshwane and Johannesburg metros found that just 5% of the South African businesses employed primarily non-South Africans, and 30% employed both.

Nearly half of foreign migrant businesses employed both South Africans and non-South Africans.

simnikiweh@citizen.co.za