Illegal immigration crisis outpaces ANC after years of denial
· Citizen
Whoever is really behind the March and March protests – and it seems the whole movement has far more planning and coordination behind it than just a spontaneous outpouring of anger against foreigners – has astutely seen that the question of illegal immigration is perhaps the softest of the ANC’s soft political underbellys.
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For too long, the then-ruling party dismissed building concern among ordinary people as xenophobia, pushing back by, in effect, accusing them of being ungrateful for the support the ANC and the South African liberation movement was given by fellow Africans.
It is only in the past few years that the ANC has tried to control the gathering tide – similar to the way in which it hopped on the coat-tails of the June 1976 uprising and rode it to dominance.
The difference is that, this time, the anti-migrant movement has gone too far for our rulers to stop or control it.
This is despite the posturing by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his promises that illegal immigration would be dealt with, along with those fanning the flames of hatred.
This week, as thousands of Malawians thronged Durban in a desperate attempt to get on buses headed home, you could not have seen a more effective sign that the government has lost the fight.
In the minds of many, the 30 June deadline for people to leave carries far more weight than any words from Ramaphosa.
However, this movement is also different to the “insurrection” which the ANC eventually tackled in July 2021, as supporters of Jacob Zuma took to the streets looting and rioting.
This time, March and March will not find itself isolated in parts of the country as did Zuma’s supporters when they tried their antics outside KwaZulu-Natal.
That’s why it’s a bigger threat… and whoever is behind it knows that.