ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has characterized illegal immigration as a global crisis requiring coordinated governmental action, while firmly rejecting characterizations of South Africa as a xenophobic nation.
Speaking on the sidelines of an ANC Volunteers Programme in KwaZulu-Natal, Mbalula emphasized that policy responses must address immigration challenges without fostering hostility toward foreign nationals.
“It’s a global crisis that requires governments to formulate a response to this,” Mbalula stated. “But we can never allow ourselves… when apartheid was described as a crime against humanity, to accept our country to be described as a xenophobic country that hates other nations. That’s not the case. We don’t hate people.”
Drawing on his tenure as former Minister of Police, Mbalula linked broader immigration concerns to localized criminal activity affecting communities. He recounted firsthand observations of illicit operations targeting vulnerable residents.
“I was a minister of police. I was in Kagiso. I was in the Vaal, Johannesburg Central,” Mbalula said. “I saw these drug cartels dishing out drugs and all of that to the youth and even illegal prostitution, teenage prostitution in the areas of Durban. I’ve seen that with my eyes. I know the pain and suffering of our people.”
Mbalula’s remarks highlight the complex intersection of border security, community safety, and humanitarian considerations in South Africa’s ongoing immigration discourse. The ANC Secretary-General called for practical, values-driven solutions to what he described as a worldwide challenge requiring thoughtful, coordinated leadership.
