As we approach the June 30 the deadline given to the so-called foreign and undocumented migrants in South Africa, it is important that this situation be given the critical analysis and avoid any emotional responses without providing evidence.
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA ON THE 7TH OF JUNE BROADCAST TO THE NATION ON THIS MATTER
This is what President Ramaphosa said among other things:
““Over recent months, South Africans from every walk of life have raised concerns about migration and illegal immigration…Almost all South Africans recognise that illegal immigration is a significant challenge…Illegal migration if unchecked poses a risk to South Africa’s security, stability as well as our economic progress…We know that illegal migration affects service delivery and places additional burdens on essential services such as health care and education…We know that illegal migration undermines our efforts to create decent work for our people.”
All these comments constitute an agreement by our Head of State and Government with the argument advanced by groups such as Operation Dudula and the more recent creation, March and March, as well as the political parties such as ActionSA and ATM, that such is the level on illegal migration in our country that it results in the negative consequences which President Ramaphosa mentioned.
By the same token, he joined these campaigners against ‘undocumented migrants’ to make the statement that these –
“Illegal migrants’ are the cause of such phenomena in our country as the high levels of unemployment. The fact, however, is that neither President Ramaphosa nor any of his bedmates propagating the scare about ‘illegal migrants flooding our country has any clue about how many illegal migrants there are in our country!’
This is an extremely serious shortcoming on the part of a Head of State & Government! It is perfectly obvious that when an assertion is made that a serious threat of one kind or another is facing a country, it would be the obligation of any normal Head of State & Government to do her/his best to understand this threat as thoroughly as possible.
The simple reason for this is that such Head of State & Government would have the obligation to lead the country in dealing with the threat. In its 14 June 2026 edition, the newspaper, Sunday Times, publishes in its Q&A column an interview with the leader of Action SA, Mr. Herman Mashaba, on the ‘undocumented migrants’.
During this interview, Mr Mashaba is quoted as saying:
“Last week, the statistician general confirmed, scientifically, 3.1 million undocumented (foreign nationals)…” Unfortunately, the interviewer did not challenge this false statement.
Instead, strangely, he/she said:
“That’s 5% of the population, isn’t it?
And yet in its publication, ‘Mbalo Brief: the missing piece of the puzzle’, Issue3/2026, published in April 2026, Statistics South Africa said:
“The results indicate that immigrants contributed marginally to the overall population size of South Africa, accounting for 5,1% (over 3 million people).” Here Statistics South Africa is talking about people it actually counted, not undocumented people, but people resident in South Africa who had not been born in South Africa.
On 5 August 2021, the same Statistician General mentioned by Mr Mashaba, Mr Risenga Maluleke, issued a Statement headed “Erroneous reporting of undocumented migrants in SA”.
In that Statement, the Statistician General said:
“Stats SA wishes to categorically indicate that it has at no point made any estimation or comment on undocumented migrants…
“The census migration module asks the province/country of birth, date moved to South Africa and country of citizenship. It does not ask about the documented status of an individual. It is not the mandate of Stats SA to determine the documented/undocumented status of persons born outside SA.”
We cannot find the Statement which Mr Mashaba claims was made by ‘the statistician general last week’, because it does not exist!
And neither has StatsSA changed its policy in this regard from the one explained in clear terms in 2021 by Statistician General Risenga Maluleke.
WHAT IS THE EXACT SIZE OF THE PROBLEM THAT MUST BE SOLVED?
When Pres Ramaphosa claims that “Almost all South Africans recognise that illegal immigration is a significant challenge…” as he did in his June 7, 2026, Address to the Nation, he must answer the question – what numbers are we talking about here, in order to measure objectively the size of the challenge?
Another question the President must answer is – how was this assertion “Almost all South Africans…” factually determined?
Further, are these ‘illegal migrants’ in our country 50 thousand, 500 thousand, 5 million or otherwise, even approximately, how many are they? What is the size of the problem that must be solved?
Neither Pres Ramaphosa nor the ‘almost all South Africans’ he alleges can provide the figure we are asking for!
Incidentally, logically, “undocumented” means “not counted”! There is no doubt that there are illegal, undocumented migrants in our country. Similarly, there is no doubt that the relevant institutions of the democratic State must do their work to ensure observance of all South African laws, including those relating to immigration.
There should be no dispute or even a prominent discussion about these common-sense propositions.
However, the assertion that these illegal, undocumented migrants are the cause of such problems as unemployment and poor service delivery will, and must, be debated vigorously to arrive at the truth!
One of the Items on the Political Agenda of the Counter-Revolution (C-R) is to Eliminate the Government Foreign Policy focused on African Unity and Renaissance!
The reason for this is obvious.
The C-R recalls that an important factor in its failure successfully to defend the apartheid system was:
• the united African support for our liberation struggle; and,
• the support for the ANC by the overwhelming majority of the African States and peoples.
As it now works to defeat and destroy both the ANC and the NDR, it is natural that the C-R must work to destroy the relationship between South Africa and the rest of Africa, which has been built on the basis of the historic united African struggle to defeat the apartheid regime and system.
There are others in the world who support this approach. This is because these are very concerned that as liberated South Africa interacts with the rest of the Continent, on the basis of positions which are immanent in ANC foreign policy, this will spread throughout Africa ideas and practices in favour of fundamental socio-economic transformation, including the defeat of neo-colonialism.
This would be against the direct interests of a number of powers in the world.
It should therefore come as no surprise that over the years, the C-R has done its best to encourage sustained Afrophobia in our country, exactly because it knows that such manifestation of xenophobia would drive the wedge it needs, to break the bonds of solidarity between democratic South Africa and the rest of our Continent, based on the shared African perspective in favour of a successful national democratic revolution.
The C-R also wants this outcome convinced that it will be easier for it to destroy an ANC that is isolated from its historic allies, the masses of the peoples of Africa and the African Diaspora.
It should therefore not surprise anyone among us that some of the campaigners against ‘the undocumented migrants’, who are exclusively African, resulting in increasing hostility towards all African foreign nationals in our country, are obviously well funded.
This, the C-R will have applauded the statement that “Almost all South Africans recognise that illegal immigration is a significant challenge…”!
I also take it as given that by now, all of us are fully familiar with what Dr John Endres, CEO of the South African Institute of Race Relations, and Dr Franz Cronje, of the Social Research Foundation have been saying about our socio-economic situation.
Both have been saying, using their own words, and demonstrating this with facts, that democratic South Africa made remarkable upward progress during its first 15 years, confirming that it was on the road towards the eradication of the legacy of colonialism and apartheid.
They then go on to say that however, there was a sharp change in this regard, resulting in South Africa going downwards during its next and second 15 years, exactly in the opposite direction compared to its first 15 years.
To illustrate what we have lost as a result of the change of direction in the last 15-plus years, Dr Cronje has even projected that if South Africa had sustained the economic growth rate it had achieved by 2008, unemployment in South Africa today would be 10% rather that the current 32.5%!
Unfortunately, both these learned Doctors, Endres and Cronje, neither pose nor answer the question – what caused the sudden and dramatic change of direction they speak about!
The person who does this is Dr Roy Havemann of the Stellenbosch University Bureau for Economic Research (BER), in a September 2025 article entitled “Accounting for South Africa’s remarkable growth deterioration. And how can growth be restored?”
Among others, Havemann says:
“South Africa’s economic growth slowed significantly from 2010…The first place to look in explaining this dramatic fall-off in productivity growth (from 2010 onwards) might be to ask whether there was a reversal of the things that supported the initial strong performance.”
He then says:
“Indeed, the most significant change was not the (2008/9) global financial crisis (which South Africa weathered remarkably well), but a change in the country’s president.”
In this context, he refers to the period of ‘State Capture’, among others. I am certain that we all know that our own argument about what happened, which Dr Havemann explains as “a change in the country’s president”, is that the ANC leadership changed during the 2007 52nd ANC National Conference.
We have said in this regard, that that change and related later changes were brought about through the direct and purposeful intervention of the Counter-Revolution! Again as we have said, the central, strategic objective of the intervention of the C-R, which continues, is to defeat and destroy both the ANC and the NDR.
One of the tasks it has set itself to achieve this objective, one other Item on its Political Agenda, was to reverse the socio-economic progress achieved under ANC leadership during the first 15 years of our democracy.
The C-R itself described this objective as “eradicating the ANC legacy” established between 1994 and 2007.
Described by Dr Havemann as “a change in the country’s president”, this change deliberately produced the general political and socio-economic general crisis gripping our country today!
This is what caused the high levels of unemployment, the challenges in the areas of social service delivery and related problems. We know this as a matter of provable fact that none of these major social ills were caused by ‘undocumented migrants’ or migrants as a whole!
What has been happening as some people have been mobilising to lay the blame for the said wrongs in our country on the so-called undocumented migrants, is that they have been shielding the Counter-Revolution, the real and deliberate architect of these wrongs!
Accordingly, what the campaigners against the ‘undocumented foreign nationals’ have been doing are three things. These are that:
• they are succeeding to drive a wedge between liberated South Africa and the rest of Africa, to help contribute to sabotaging Africa’s efforts to achieve fundamental socio-economic transformation;
• they are helping to create the conditions for the defeat and destruction of the ANC; and,
• they are protecting the Counter-Revolution from a sustained offensive by the masses of our people to stop it from continuing its criminal process of striving to ensure the preservation and perpetuation of the criminal legacy of colonial and apartheid.
I would like to believe that from all this you will understand the gravity of the error President Ramaphosa made when in his 7 June 2026 Address to the Nation, he effectively endorsed the false claim made by some people in our country that our country’s general crisis has been caused by illegal and therefore undocumented migrants!
From all this must arise the question – what are the tasks of the National Democratic Movement in the face of the well-funded and sustained offensive effectively to fan a repugnant Afrophobia?
I. It is imperative that the Movement publicly presents a broad view of its Immigration Policy, emphasising its commitment to the cultivation of relations of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries and peoples, starting with Africa. It must underline that it fully accepts the aspiration expressed through the African Union towards achieving free movement of people throughout Africa, including in the context of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
For well over a century, the indigenous majority in our country has recognised that it shares a common destiny with the rest of the African peoples. This remains true to this day. The Movement must therefore ensure that the population as a whole is educated to understand this and therefore act accordingly.
The Movement must unequivocally kill the impression which our government has created that the principal objective of South African Immigration Policy is to keep out of the country as many people from the rest of Africa as possible!
II. The Movement must tell the story of the First and Second 15-year Socio-Economic periods in our country – 1994/2009 and 2010/to date.
It must explain that the sharp break between these two periods was caused by the intervention of the Counter-Revolution. It must therefore give the necessary explanation about this Counter-Revolution.
IIa. In this context it must explain that:
• whatever foreign nationals were in our country during the period 1994/2009, they did not obstruct the achievements made during this period; and,
• whatever foreign nationals were in our country during the period 2010/to date, they played no role in causing the sustained and continuing regression during this period.
The Movement must therefore emphasise that such problems as unemployment, poverty and poor service delivery are directly the fault of the Counter-Revolution and have nothing to do with the presence in our country of foreign nationals, including those who are ‘undocumented’.
III. The Movement must explain the goals pursued by the Counter-Revolution aimed at the isolation of democratic South Africa from the rest of the Continent for the purpose of creating the best conditions for it to destroy the Pan-African movement in South Africa. It must include the encouragement of Afrophobia by the Counter-Revolution to achieve its objectives.
The Movement must therefore be very firm in alerting the country that whatever the intentions of the organisers of the campaigns to expel so-called undocumented foreigners, these campaigns serve the purposes of the Counter-Revolution. They have absolutely nothing to do with creating jobs for South Africans and will not do so. The Movement must expose the great harm caused to South Africa by these ill-informed and fruitless campaigns.
IV. The Movement must explain what should happen with regard to nation building and social cohesion as this relates to migrants who have legally settled in our country. In this context, the Movement must recall that there has been serious reflection on this matter in the past.
We refer here especially to the “Report of the Special Reference Group on Migration and Community Integration in KwaZulu-Natal” which Group was chaired by Judge Niva Pillay. This Report, together with the “Report of the Special Committee on Social Cohesion in KwaZulu-Natal”, was released by the KZN Provincial Government in April 2016. The latter Committee was chaired by Professor Paulus Zulu.
IVa. In its explanation, the Movement would take fully on board the overall approach indicated by Judge Niva Pillay in her Foreword to the Report, in which she says:
“It is important for all South Africans to take responsibility for the development and growth of their country, and to be prepared to engage and cooperate with all persons regardless of their origins and background. Foreign nationals inside the country must continue their efforts to integrate, respect and appreciate the cultures and customs of the communities in which they settle. It is also important for the South African Government to ensure that all of its policies and civil servants respect the rights and dignity of all human beings.
“The South African Constitution protects the rights and dignity of all persons who reside or are present in the country. In order to realise these commitments, we must all come together and work towards greater cohesion and collaboration, bearing in mind that its own triple threats of poverty, unemployment and inequality cannot be resolved in the short term.”
IVb. In this Section of the Response of the Movement, it should also comment on the facts that:
Җ relatively modern migration into South Africa started with the migrant labour which flowed into our country’s white-owned mines and farms from the 19th century onwards. Millions of these foreign African nationals have contributed immensely to our country’s development;
Җ all our borders are colonial creations which, among other things, separate families and communities. Necessarily, in our neighbourhood, thousands of people cross our borders everyday without applying for visas and with no intention to stay in our country. Even if quite a few of these are caught by the Border Management Agency, which happens, it is wrong to describe these as ‘undocumented foreigners’ as though they had been staying in the country;
Җ like all countries, the relevant agencies of the South African Government will carry out their mandated tasks to ensure compliance with our country’s laws, including the immigration laws. This is a routine matter which does not require loud communication as though this was an exceptional matter; and,
Җ much damage has already been caused to the relations between South Africa on one side, the rest of Africa and the African Diaspora on the other. This is translating into hostility against everything South African and will hurt our country and citizens greatly. We cannot both claim that as Africans we share a common destiny and simultaneously act against fellow Africans as though they are our mortal enemies!
POSTSCRIPT
During the last three days we received by e-mail a letter entitled “Xenophobia: South Africa’s Reputational Erosion is not Theoritical”.
It is signed by one Tim Akano who describes himself as President, One Africa Initiative.
In the body of the letter, he says:
“I lead a foundation tagged One Africa Academy initiatives which consists of thousands of African youths from all over Africa.”
Below follow Extracts from Tim Akano’s long letter.
“I watched the world cup football opening match between Mexico and South Africa with mixed feelings.
“Seeing an African country playing on Day one was historic, and its symbolism cannot be underestimated. On the other hand, seeing hundreds of Africans wearing the Mexican jerseys in the stadium and millions of African football lovers across the remaining 50 African countries praying for Mexico to defeat their African brothers was humbling, and equally historic and symbolic…
“I ask: how did Africa get here? As a facilitator of a pan African NGO tagged ONE AFRICA INITIATIVES(OAI), this bitter divorce between South Africa and Africa is dangerous, because when you remove Africa from South Africa, what you get is South, and South Africa, indeed, went south on the field on the opening day.
“And for a country that derives almost 10% of her GDP from travels and tourism, the reputational damage caused by xenophobia to the Brand South Africa is monumental…
“I lead a foundation tagged One Africa Academy initiatives which consists of thousands of African youths from all over Africa. I owe this unbiased piece to them before the situation deteriorate further.
“First, to Africans who feel betrayed by the few overzealous and hot tempered South Africans who have given June 30th as the deadline for certain categories of Africans to leave South Africa, I would like them to emphasize that over generalization of the issue is unhelpful.
“Not all South Africans share this Xenophobic behaviors…
“Having said that, we also need to blame some few Nigerians and other Africans who go to south africa to do drugs, prostitution and other criminal activities.
“We should not sweep the issue of one misguided Nigerian who went to South Africa to crown himself KING. The action of one Solomon Ogbonna Eziko, the self crowned *Igbo King of East London, South Africa*, an action which begot this latest wave of xenophobia is a gross act of irresponsibility, insensitivity and lack of proper home training.
“It is an abomination in the African culture to have 2 kings in one kingdom.
“I recall a similar situation in Ghana, where one Eze Dr Chukuwdi Jude Ihenetu crowned himself as IGBO KING IN GHANA.
“In both instances, both South African and Ghana youths were justified in rising to defend the sanctity and sacredness of their culture and institutions…
“I can vividly see famine of Vision, and the betrayal of African Brotherhood on the leadership of Thabo Mbeki and Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The two of them know what the South African youths of today don’t know: how Nigeria, which is 7000km away from South Africa became a Frontline state in the war against apartheid. Ghana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, etc all gambled with their independence, while fighting for South Africa.
“Thabo Mbeki knows how much of Africa resources went into ANC bank accounts, in ANC’s Long Walk to Freedom.
“Assuming the youths don’t have the details of their history, it is incumbent on Thabo Mbeki and President Cyril Ramaphosa to speak truth to the mobs on the streets.
“This is what Mandela would have done, if he were alive today.
“South Africa stands today as a paradox — a nation liberated by the blood and treasure of an entire continent, now turning its fists against the very brothers who bankrolled its freedom. This is not mean social crisis. It is a color of a collapsing civilisation.
“When Zambia opened its borders to ANC cadres in exile, when Tanzania gave land for training camps, when Nigeria donated millions of dollars to the anti-apartheid movement at a time when Nigerians needed those funds for infrastructure development— they did not ask for repayment. They asked only for solidarity. The covenant was simple: Africa’s liberation is indivisible. What is owed to one is owed to all.
“That covenant has been desecrated…
“But the greater indictment belongs not to the mobs. It belongs to the leadership — or rather, the absence of it. South Africa suffers not just from xenophobia. It suffers from a famine of vision so acute, so prolonged, that its political class can no longer distinguish between a scapegoat and a solution. When unemployment rises, blame the foreigner. When services collapse, blame the immigrant. When corruption hollows out every institution, find an African face to carry the guilt that should rest on indigenous shoulders in government corridors.
“This is the oldest deception in political history — redirect popular rage outward so it never turns inward toward those responsible. And in South Africa, it works with devastating efficiency, because the leadership vacuum is so profound that no credible voice rises to reframe the narrative.
“Consider what is being destroyed in the process. South Africa’s greatest asset — beyond its minerals, beyond its infrastructure — is its continental symbolism. It was the miracle nation. The rainbow promise. The proof that negotiation could triumph over annihilation. Every African carried a piece of that victory. Mandela was not just South Africa’s president — he was the continent’s vindication.
“That symbolic capital is being burned… What was once admiration curdles into contempt…
“The reputational erosion is not theoretical — it is measurable, it is accelerating, and it is self-inflicted.
“What South Africa needs — and what its current leadership cannot provide — is a statesman with the audacity to stand before his own people and say what Mandela would have said: “These Africans you attack are your brothers. Their parents paid for your freedom. Your rage is legitimate but it is misdirected. The enemy is not the Ghanaian selling bread on your corner. The enemy is the system that keeps you poor while those in power grow obscenely wealthy.”
“That speech has not been given. That leader has not emerged. And in the vacuum, the demagogues thrive.
“Africa is watching. History is recording. And the judgment will be unsparing — that South Africa, at the moment it most needed greatness, chose smallness. That it answered the generosity of a continent with hostility. That it inherited Mandela’s legacy and squandered it on the altar of cowardice dressed as populism.
“The liberation of South Africa was a pan-African project. Its shame is becoming one too.
“A nation that forgets those who built it deserves neither its freedom nor its future.”
ENDS
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