March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma have rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa's call for immigration enforcement to be left to the state, as South Africans marched in Ekurhuleni on Monday against companies they accuse of employing foreign nationals while locals remain unemployed.
Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday, announcing a series of interventions aimed at strengthening immigration enforcement, including intensified deportations, tighter border controls, and increased inspections targeting undocumented foreign nationals and employers who hire them.
The president acknowledged growing public frustration over illegal immigration, saying: "Many South Africans are asking difficult but legitimate questions…They are concerned about safety, security, and the rule of law. These concerns are real. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to be addressed."
However, he stressed that enforcing immigration laws remains the responsibility of the state.
"Only authorised government officials may act against violations of the law," Ramaphosa said, adding that "no other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality".
