Simon Nare
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula has accused former president Jacob Zuma and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party of exploiting anger over undocumented migration for votes.
“A man who was a president in this country, stands up on a platform and fuels violence. How can a person who was a leader not so long ago call for violence in the country? Does he know what will happen here? Who wants this violence? These people don’t know what they are talking about. He is supporting them for political reasons, because he wants votes,” he said.
Mbalula was addressing the media after a meeting of the ANC national working committee. His attack on Zuma comes as anti-illegal immigration protests intensify ahead of the June 30 “deadline” set by March & March and other anti-immigration activists for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.
He said the former president’s support for the campaign was part of a strategy to weaken the ANC ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
“Jacob Zuma has endorsed March and March and he has actually gone extreme and said Mabahambe (‘they must go’ — the slogan used in anti-illegal immigrant protests) and his people have owned up to this membership,” said Mbalula.
He said Zuma was widely regarded as an elder in South Africa and on the African continent, and should have led by example instead of endorsing a campaign he said risked violence against fellow Africans.
He said Zuma’s actions stood in contrast to Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, who had acted responsibly by calling on his subjects not to unleash violence against foreign nationals.
The secretary general said it was sad that the legendary Amabutho — Zulu Regiments — who are the pride of the Zulu nation, were now being drawn into anti-illegal immigration protests.
Mbalula admitted that the ANC agreed with some of the concerns being raised about illegal immigration, but said vigilantism and violence had to be condemned.
He said it was concerning that the narrative taking hold was that South Africa was xenophobic and hated fellow Africans, and that “we burn them, we kill them and we attack them”.
“You can imagine how many of our people who are flourishing in businesses on the African continent are under severe pressure as we speak, because of these activities,” he said.
The ANC has called for government to deal decisively with illegal immigration, but Mbalula said the issue could not be allowed to descend into violence, intimidation or attacks on fellow Africans.
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