MEDIA RELEASE

2025-06-09

SUMMARY: The Labour Party of South Africa (Labour Party) has expressed frustration with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on illegal immigration, arguing that South Africans are tired of promises, strategies, and commitments without visible implementation. While welcoming stronger enforcement measures, the Party maintains that government must move beyond announcements and deliver immediate, measurable action to secure borders, combat corruption, enforce labour laws, and restore public confidence in state institutions.

On 7 June 2026, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on illegal immigration, border security, corruption within the immigration system, and the alleged exploitation of undocumented foreign nationals.

“The problem of illegal immigration did not emerge overnight. It is therefore insufficient for the President, at a time of heightened frustration among South Africans, to simply appeal for calm and ask citizens to trust the state to resolve the crisis”, said Joseph Mathunjwa, Interim President of the Labour Party.

“The President spent considerable time reminding South Africans about the Rule of Law and urging them not to take the law into their own hands. While this is correct, the corruption and failures within state institutions that have brought us to this point are not the result of ordinary citizens disregarding the law. They are the result of a government that has failed the nation and demonstrated a lack of leadership”, Mathunjwa added.

The Labour Party is deeply frustrated by government’s failure to implement interventions that ordinary South Africans can see and experience in their daily lives.The President announced a five-pillar migration strategy that may appear comprehensive on paper. However, South Africans have heard similar commitments before. What is required now is immediate implementation, visible enforcement, clear timelines, and measurable outcomes.

The President outlined plans to pursue legislative reforms, modernise identity management systems, combat corruption within the Department of Home Affairs, and strengthen cooperation with neighbouring countries and partners across the African continent.

“Instead of informing South Africans about what has already been implemented and what tangible progress has been made, the President largely presented commitments and intentions. We already know that immigration courts need to be established. We know that border security must be strengthened. We know that labour inspections must be intensified and that those who violate immigration and labour laws must be prosecuted. South Africans know this. What they want is to see these measures implemented. They want decisive and pragmatic leadership that delivers results”, argued Mathunjwa.

South Africans are increasingly frustrated by persistent unemployment, corruption, crime, deteriorating public services, and the growing challenges associated with illegal immigration. While the enforcement of immigration laws remains the responsibility of the state, government cannot condemn citizens for expressing legitimate concerns about issues that directly affect their lives, livelihoods, and communities.

The Labour Party remains firmly opposed to the exploitation of workers and welcomes the recruitment of additional labour inspectors, as well as proposals to increase penalties for employers who violate immigration and labour legislation. The Labour Party further calls on government to address the alarmingly high rate of graduate unemployment by recruiting qualified young graduates as labour inspectors across various sectors and industries. Such an intervention would simultaneously strengthen labour law enforcement and create meaningful employment opportunities for young South Africans.

However, government must proceed with caution to ensure that enforcement measures do not further victimise vulnerable workers or push them into even more precarious circumstances.

The anger and frustration being expressed across South Africa are a direct consequence of government’s failure to consistently and effectively enforce existing laws.

“I do not condone violence, xenophobic attacks, vigilantism, Afrophobia, or any form of unlawful conduct. However, I will unequivocally call out government’s failures and place responsibility where it belongs. The current situation is the result of years of poor leadership, weak enforcement, and a lack of political will”, said Mathunjwa.

“Our government was entrusted with protecting the nation’s resources, securing our borders, and safeguarding the interests of its citizens. Instead, many South Africans have watched as corruption flourished, public institutions weakened, and accountability disappeared. The consequences of porous borders and ineffective governance are now being felt across the country, and South Africans are demanding that the sovereignty of their nation be protected”, he added.

The President also referred to the digitalisation of immigration management and the use of intelligence-driven joint operations coordinated by the Department of Home Affairs.

“This speech was, at best, cryptic. Once again, the President delivered an eloquent address filled with plans and aspirations about fixing the country. Yet for more than three decades, government has failed to address many of the challenges confronting South Africans. He must not simply tell us about technology and future interventions; he must acknowledge that government has failed to protect the sovereignty of the country”, argued Mathunjwa.

The Labour Party will judge government not by promises made from podiums, speeches delivered from the Union Buildings, or policy announcements contained in strategy documents. It will judge government by tangible results that improve the lives of ordinary South Africans, create jobs, restore confidence in public institutions, secure the country’s borders, and uphold the Rule of Law.

The Labour Party believes that responsibility for the current crisis rests squarely with the President and his Cabinet. Rather than condemning the frustration of South Africans or allowing communities to become divided, government must accept accountability for its failures and take decisive action that places the interests of South African citizens first.

“Cyril Ramaphosa will not bring about meaningful change for the betterment of South Africans; our pain has become their gain. That is why the Labour Party advocates for a federal system of governance in which the President is elected directly by the people rather than by a political party. We see through the eloquence of these speeches. We see the absence of a credible plan to fix the country, protect its citizens, and secure the future of the nation. South Africans deserve leadership that delivers action, accountability, and results”, Mathunjwa concluded.

++++ENDS++++

915 words (excluding heading, summary and end matter)

For more information or to arrange interviews, please send a request to media@labourparty.org.za.

The Labour Party is a non-racial home for all progressive and likeminded organisations, including trade unions and civil society organisations that share our values and ethos.