Opinion | Misplacing the blame: Immigration in political strategy – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.

Illegal immigration as a political strategy is not patriotism, but low-hanging fruit in our political landscape for a seat in the legislature.

The writing is on the wall. Political parties that adopted or bandwagoned illegal immigration as a political strategy, such as Action SA and Patriotic Alliance (PA), got rewarded. Those who remained steadfast in the pan-Africanist ideals of African unity, such as the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), were shunned.

This sentiment does not ignore the complexities that shape the South African political landscape, such as demographics, socioeconomic status, and other contributing factors. A 2026 survey by GeoPoll on a diverse cross-section of society found that 77% of the population heard or witnessed incidents related to social tensions in the past 12 months. This highlights the ubiquity of the catalyst, illegal immigration, and a high level of awareness among the majority of South Africans.

As of 17 August 2026, Xenowatch, an organisation monitoring xenophobic violence in South Africa, reported a total of 1362 incidents with 133,362 people displaced across all provinces since 1994. The total number of incidents includes 705 fatalities.

The recent escalation of anti-immigrant sentiments correlates with the global rise of right-wing parties, the recession of democracy, and a re-emergence of democratic socialism. Poor governance and the electorate’s desperation for alternative governance models and visionary leadership are central to this phenomenon. In our case, GeoPoll found that weak control over immigration, crime, job competition and high unemployment were the underlying issues irking the masses.

On a positive note, the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), acknowledged their shortfalls and failures. President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted to governance deficits in some municipalities. Opposition parties are playing their role by capitalising on the incumbent’s failures. Meanwhile, the movement behind the recent wave of xenophobia and the catalyst behind the mass repatriation of immigrants to various countries, the March and March movement led by Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, is publicly showing support for parties that have stringent anti-illegal immigrant policies.

The ground is fertile for change. The 2024 elections confirmed the electorate’s shifting loyalties. The ubiquity of xenophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments in society has become synonymous with high-level patriotism. All political parties are paying attention, with some showing solidarity by adopting illegal immigration as a political strategy.

Unfortunately, illegal immigration as a political strategy is a dead end. It is neither good for the political parties nor society at large!

First, South Africa is a developing country and one of the most unequal societies in the world. This aspect has nothing to do with legal or illegal immigration. This has everything to do with the sociocultural context of South African politics. The 2025 OECD economic survey report on South Africa indicated that inequality contributes to the shortage of skilled labour in most industries. This is because citizens are still excluded from the economy, including access to quality education for specialised skills needed in society. Skilled legal immigrants often fill this gap.

Secondly, this aspect may sound biased coming from a pan-Africanist. But the objective reality is that South Africa is still a part of Africa, a continent recovering from colonialism. The proponent of Pan-Africanism, Kwame Nkrumah, argued against African states’ independence without economic integration. Nkrumah feared the neocolonial vulnerabilities that would potentially affect all African states. These vulnerabilities include continent-wide exploitation through the extraction of resources from various states, state-crippling international debts, which negatively impact governance, and the abuse of the masses without recourse in the name of sovereignty. South Africa is one of the relatively stable countries on the continent and a magnet for migrants. But neocolonial vulnerabilities are visible in most African states.

But why must South Africa bear the brunt of poor governance by other African leaders or be roped into the failures of other states?

Unfortunately, it is a case of having a nice house in a rough neighbourhood. You can either build high walls and pretend the world outside does not exist or lend a helping hand for your own sake and overall peace and safety.

If we choose the first option to build a wall and shun our neighbours, it may yield some of the desired results. Africa’s population is estimated to be around 1.565 billion. This implies shutting out over 1.5 billion Africans from South Africa. Besides, the colonial infrastructure was already designed against intra-African trade. As of 2026, the total intra-African trade is reported to be around 15 to 16%. In comparison, intra-European trade is at 67% to 70%, and intra-Asian trade at 61%.

However, this places South Africa in a dangerous position, isolated and under pressure from various internal and external actors. If history has taught us anything, it sounds eerily familiar to what the apartheid government faced. Isolation and external pressure can be dire for the economy, thus creating ripple effects with negative outcomes.

A sincere response to these aspects requires an informed assessment of South Africa’s political landscape and its position on the continent. A helping hand sounds more ideal. Efforts poured into regional governance through the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) are not in vain. The results may not be immediately visible. But the necessary conversations are being held.

Critically, South African citizens are irked by the unresponsive government. The overt anti-immigrant and xenophobic sentiments are a cry for help to a government that has buried its head in the sand.

Political parties adopting illegal immigration as a political strategy begs the question of intent. Bandwagoning on the xenophobic wave can get you into the legislature, but making a difference in society demands more. Once in office, these parties are almost guaranteed to disappoint. Instead of barking at the wrong tree, political parties need to address governance issues and harmful institutions that continuously fail us.

Jessie Yonela Montshi is an emerging researcher affiliated with the North-West University, Vanderbijlpark campus in South Africa. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Law degree from STADIO Higher Education in 2024 and a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Political Studies from North-West University in 2025. She is currently a Master of Arts in Political Studies student at North-West University. Her areas of interest are cyberpolitics, digital politics, and regional integration.