SA’s immigration conundrum is not at the border; it is at the Union Buildings

South Africa's immigration dilemma isn't at the border, but within the Union Buildings. Scapegoating migrants won't address a broken Home Affairs system or generate employment. This nation requires genuine administrative leadership rather than political theatrics. Human rights activist and co-founder of Sonke Gender Justice, Bafana Khumalo, emphasizes this point.

Every few months, South Africa goes through a similar cycle. A clinic in Hillbrow becomes overwhelmed, a township business is looted, a truck burns on the N3, or a mother in Limpopo delivers her baby on the floor due to a full maternity ward. Immediately, people point fingers at foreigners. Politicians then arrive with loudspeakers, with one party pledging to close the border, another offering documents to everyone, and another vowing to deport 12 million people in 12 months—an impossible task that requires resources we don't possess.

Following the marches and speeches, nothing changes. The border remains porous, Home Affairs continues to falter, and both South African and foreign individuals continue to struggle at the periphery of the mainstream economy. The immigration issue in South Africa is real, but it primarily showcases a significant, ongoing failure in political leadership.

South Africa possesses one of the world's most progressive constitutions, promising rights to "everyone" rather than just citizens. We signed the UN Refugee Convention and are members of the African Union, advocating for Pan-Africanism. However, our Home Affairs system remains deliberately dysfunctional. Attempting to acquire asylum in South Africa involves queuing from 3am at the Desmond Tutu Refugee Reception Office in Marabastad, being told the system is offline, and repeatedly obtaining Section 22 permits that expire after six months, necessitating repeated visits.

Employers don't recognize these permits, banks refuse to acknowledge them, and police tear them up at roadblocks, demanding bribes. Consequently, individuals who should be documented become undocumented because the state makes it impossible to maintain their status. The state then labels them "illegal" and launches raids against them. This isn't border control; it's manufactured illegality, which serves a purpose: creating a pool of cheap, exploitable labor that can be blamed when things go awry.