Afrika Mayibuye Movement president Floyd Shivambu and March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma have joined forces in what could become a significant new pressure bloc in South Africa’s increasingly heated immigration debate.
The two leaders met in Johannesburg on Monday and emerged with a shared commitment to campaign against undocumented immigration, while pushing for tougher laws and greater public awareness on the issue.
The alliance comes as immigration continues to dominate public discourse, with growing calls from some sectors for stronger border controls and stricter enforcement of existing laws.
Serious challenges for the country
In a joint statement, the organisations said they were united in their belief that undocumented immigration presents serious challenges for the country.
“We do not support undocumented and illegal immigration into South Africa,” the groups said, arguing that the issue has implications for security, service delivery and state planning.
The organisations also raised concerns about the role of some employers, claiming that undocumented migrants are often vulnerable to exploitation in the labour market.
“The private sector in South Africa is exploiting the situation through employment of undocumented and undocumented immigrants,” the statement said.
As part of their new partnership, the two groups plan to host public discussions, seminars and workshops aimed at generating proposals on how South Africa should deal with undocumented migration.
Quest for stronger immigration laws
They also intend scrutinising legislation at municipal, provincial and national level to identify areas where immigration laws could be strengthened.
The organisations said they would engage other stakeholders in an effort to build broader consensus on immigration policy and support educational campaigns to raise awareness about the impact of undocumented migration.
The ultimate goal, they said, is to develop concrete policy proposals to address what they regard as a growing national challenge.
Search for solutions
“We call on all sectors of society, including political parties, civil society, the private sector and government, to combine efforts in seeking solutions to the immigration crisis,” the organisations said.
This comes a growing anti-illegal immigration sentiment in the country. Ngobese- Zuma’s organisation has been at the forefront of nationwide marches against illegal foreigners which has ultimately led to their governments organising repatriations.
Countries such as Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Malawi have all had small portions of their citizens return home, with many of them being declared undesirable for not having the requisite documentation to reside in the country.
The largest anticipated march is expected on June 30 with President Cyril Ramaphosa having warned citizens against violent behaviour and urging them to stay within the parameters of the law as they engage in protests.
