Civil society coalition says President Cyril Ramaphosa's claims about illegal immigrants were made without any evidence to back them.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been accused of failing to provide proof to back his claims during the Presidency's Budget Vote in Parliament, where he said illegal immigration puts pressure on public services, announcing a stricter crackdown on undocumented migrants, labour violations and corruption in the immigration system.
During his speech, Ramaphosa stated that unregulated migration heavily strains public infrastructure, particularly in the healthcare and education sectors.
He also warned of undocumented migration routes to organised crime networks, specifically noting illegal mining, extortion, drug trafficking and money laundering.
He acknowledged deep community frustration regarding foreign nationals operating spaza shops, noting that citizens feel economically squeezed out of their own local markets.
