Following President Cyril Ramaphosa's recent address, South Africa's political landscape is divided over immigration enforcement strategies, with parties like the DA and ActionSA presenting contrasting views on how to tackle illegal immigration.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo
South Africa's response to illegal immigration has emerged as a key political battleground, with broad agreement on the need for stronger border controls but sharp differences over how government should tackle the issue.
The debate intensified following President Cyril Ramaphosa's address to the nation on Sunday, in which he outlined measures aimed at restoring order, strengthening immigration enforcement and addressing growing public concerns, while cautioning against xenophobia and violence.
Democratic Alliance leader Geordin Hill-Lewis welcomed Ramaphosa's remarks, particularly his assertion that South Africa's economic struggles are not caused by foreign nationals but by the country's failure to generate economic growth and create jobs.
"I welcome President Cyril Ramaphosa's address to the nation this evening, and his clear message that South Africa's economic struggles are not caused by foreign nationals, but by the failure to grow the economy and create millions of jobs," Hill-Lewis said.
He described the message as important at a time of heightened tensions, urging South Africans to reject xenophobia and uphold constitutional values.
Hill-Lewis said the DA would support lawful efforts within the Government of National Unity (GNU) to restore order, secure borders and improve immigration systems. He also praised ongoing reforms at the Department of Home Affairs under Minister Leon Schreiber, aimed at strengthening immigration controls and improving documentation systems.
"People must be in South Africa legally, and the law must be enforced by the state – not by mobs, vigilantes, or politicians who stoke hatred for votes," he said.
The DA leader further argued that while immigration enforcement was necessary, South Africa's long-term solution lay in economic growth, job creation and building a capable state.
"The deeper answer to this crisis is jobs, growth and a capable state," Hill-Lewis said, adding that the GNU must move faster to implement reforms that attract investment, reduce red tape and improve infrastructure.
However, ActionSA offered a far more critical assessment of the President's address.
In a statement, ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said the speech failed to provide meaningful solutions to what he described as an immigration crisis created by years of government inaction.
"Rather than presenting a clear shift in approach, which we believe must be anchored on mass deportations and the urgent capacitation of enforcement capacity, the President merely repackaged the same failed and tired talking points that have characterised the ANC's decades-long failure to secure South Africa's borders and effectively address illegal immigration," Mashaba said.
The party also criticised Ramaphosa for not taking questions from the media after the address, arguing that South Africans deserved clarity on what measures would differ from previous government interventions.
ActionSA questioned the government's ability to increase enforcement efforts while the Border Management Authority remained underfunded and under-resourced.
Mashaba further accused the government of responding to pressure from foreign governments instead of prioritising the concerns of South Africans affected by illegal immigration.
Despite their differing responses, both parties agreed that South Africa's immigration laws must be enforced and that border management systems require significant improvement.
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