The South African government should investigate who is driving the ongoing protests and who is funding them illegal alien citizen, There is also a broader agenda behind the demonstrations, says Gideon Chitanga, a Zimbabwean political analyst and international relations expert.

The comments come amid recent protests targeting undocumented immigrants in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

“To be fair, the issue of immigration is not unique to South Africa,” Chitanga said.

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“We live in an era where xenophobia – and, for some of us in academia, xenophobia – is linked to the spread of right-wing politics, not just in South Africa, but globally.”

Chitanga said illegal immigration is part of a broader global trend.

“You see it in America, Europe and other countries,” he said.

However, he said the situation in South Africa is different due to the country's historical and political ties with the rest of the continent.

He said, “If you're thinking as a Pan-Africanist, if you're thinking about the historical context of Africa and South Africa in particular, it creates serious problems.”

Chitanga, who has a PhD in political science from the University of Pretoria (UP) and is pursuing postgraduate studies at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), said South Africa has historically experienced high levels of immigration from neighboring countries.

He said, “You will well remember that from the 1870s, after the discovery of gold, and even until the transition to democracy, people came from Malawi, Zimbabwe and other parts of the region to work in the gold mines.”

“Geographically, South Africa is deeply interconnected with its neighboring countries, so historical boundaries are largely artificial, although politically they exist.”

He said that the struggle against settler colonialism also depends heavily on regional solidarity.

He said, “There was a need for cross-border solidarity in the context of the fight against settler colonialism, and South Africa was part of that solidarity, not only in achieving it but also in providing assistance to other African countries.”

Chitanga said there has been a broader African discussion about freedom of movement and regional integration for a long time.

“There is a big discussion about how Africans should see themselves in terms of opening the borders, freedom of movement across the continent, opening up the continent and removing some of the barriers that limit the movement of goods and people to create an environment conducive to free trade,” he said.

“I think the shared African identity is very powerful. So the question is: Despite these historical and political convergences and shared interests, why do we find ourselves divided? Why are some Africans targeting fellow Africans in neighboring countries?”

At the same time, Chitanga acknowledged concerns about undocumented migration and said that the South African Constitution already provides legal mechanisms to address immigration through the rule of law.

“Now we have this component that is being weaponized — the idea of ​​illegal immigration,” he said.

He said the government and the Home Department should develop more effective mechanisms to address undocumented migration.

“That process requires an understanding of what illegal immigration to South Africa really is, and what problems the government and society are trying to solve,” he said.

“An issue may require policing, but we know from the history of migration that policing alone will not solve the issue, particularly in relation to people coming from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and elsewhere. People have always crossed borders informally and will continue to do so.”

Chitanga also pointed to corruption in the immigration and policing systems.

“I'm Zimbabwean and I understand how people pay. I've seen how people pay at the border or other places and are let through,” he said.

He said many immigrants living legally in South Africa contribute positively to the economy, while some undocumented immigrants also participate in legal economic activities regardless of their immigration status.

“You need to think more deeply about how you solve that problem,” he said.

Chitanga criticized organizations and political actors who he said have politicized immigration, especially ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

“It makes sense for political parties to opportunistically politicize immigration, especially when it is consistent with their ideological positions,” he said.

“If a right-wing party opposes immigration and weaponizes illegal immigration, I would say that's part of their ideology.”

However, he said some groups have started taking the law into their own hands.

“Some of these artists are occupying spaces that should be occupied by the government,” he said.

“They're accusing undocumented immigrants of violating the law. You can't solve illegality by doing illegality.”

Chitanga said authorities should investigate the organizers of the anti-immigrant protests and determine who is funding them.

“It is important for the South African government and security institutions to understand who is driving these individuals, who is funding their activities and what their agenda is,” he said.

“Are these communities organizing themselves because they feel threatened, or are these social structures that are well-funded, well-organized, well-coordinated, and well-resourced?”

He questioned whether some interests are exploiting immigration tensions for political or other gain.

“What interests are mobilizing these groups of protesters, and what are they trying to achieve by promoting these types of activities?” he asked.

Chitanga said that while the government should vigorously address undocumented immigration, it should also take action against individuals or organizations that violate the law by targeting foreign nationals.

“They ask people to show identity documents, where they come from and where they live,” he said. “I think it's illegal for private citizens to ask these questions. That's the role of the police.”

He urged the government to address concerns about undocumented migration without stoking xenophobia.

He said, “I think South Africa needs to be strong – and I'm talking about leadership here – strong in speaking the truth and firm when engaging leaders of neighboring countries in diplomatic venues.”

political pressure before elections

The comments come amid growing concern over rising anti-immigrant rhetoric in South Africa.

Anti-immigrant sentiment has gained political momentum in recent years, with some groups claiming that foreign nationals are taking jobs and unfairly benefiting from public services. Previous protests related to immigration have sometimes descended into violence.

Last week, anti-immigrant movements and marches protested outside the Gauteng Provincial Legislature over alleged crimes involving undocumented foreign nationals and unauthorized religious leaders.

Participants included members of March and March, Operation Dudula, ActionSA, Inkatha Freedom Party and MK Party.

The groups accused the government of failing to act decisively against undocumented migration and demanded stricter immigration controls, stricter visa rules, a review of asylum policies, action against businesses employing undocumented migrants, accountability for corrupt police officers, and limits on public services for undocumented migrants.

Protests targeting undocumented foreign nationals continued in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday and March.

Political analysts and immigration experts have argued that immigration has become a politically sensitive issue ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

ActionSA, Patriotic Alliance and Inkatha Freedom Party are among the parties that have become increasingly vocal on immigration issues.

Immigration expert Lauren Landau, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, said anti-outsider rhetoric has become a central feature of South African politics.

Landau said, “Once on the fringes of the mainstream, it has now become a central, if not central, principle of contemporary politics.”

“It reflects the ideological bankruptcy of national politics, which has denied many people the possibility of a better life.”

He said politicians were relying on scapegoating foreign nationals instead of offering concrete policy solutions.

“For local leaders – the only directly elected ones in the country – they are under enormous pressure to take some kind of action. Anti-immigrant threats are popular and with local government elections just a few months away, that could help garner support that might otherwise be absent.”

Landau said anti-outsider rhetoric becomes louder during local political contests.

“These will probably be the most open local government elections in the history of the country, with people fighting hard for office,” he said.

“With few other tools at their disposal, promises to rid the country of foreign 'monsters' are only likely to intensify.”

the government answers

President Cyril Ramaphosa last Wednesday rejected claims by some African countries that South Africa is xenophobic, dismissing such characterizations as “Lazy“.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa acknowledged legitimate community concerns about crime.

“In fact, any characterization of this protest that attempts to portray South Africans as xenophobic is really a lazy kind of analysis of the real issues going on here.