Politicians dangle immigration control as election bait

The Citizen

7 hours ago

As elections near, political parties revive anti-illegal immigration rhetoric to lure frustrated voters while long-standing issues remain unresolved.
A disgruntled South African job seeker belonging to Alexandra Dudula Movement holds a banner reading Foreigners Must Go Home during their operation to remove foreign street vendors on pavements and stalls in Alexandra township in Johannesburg on February 13, 2022. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
With the mushrooming of political parties ahead of next year's local government elections, it is becoming obvious that the campaign ticket is 'abahambe' – undocumented foreigners must go.
Operation Dudula started its movement and gained popularity as a result of this. The Patriotic Alliance members at some point stood at a porous river blocking illegal crossing of foreigners, coining the abahambe slogan.
Since then, we have seen a zoning in on the effects of the lack of immigration control that has plagued South Africa.
Houses have been hijacked, services and utilities driven into hundreds of thousands in arrears. Spaza shops on every corner and run from RDP houses meant for the poor.
Then, the expired food fiasco and food manufactured on site, the shops doubling up as living and sleep areas.
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All of a sudden, our political parties see it fit that it is time to regulate the industry. This is despite the fact that home affairs officials are arrested more frequently over corruption.
Our cities are in disarray. South Africans who speak out on immigration control, or its lack thereof, are labelled as xenophobic.
If the stories are true that government clinics are serving more foreigners than South Africans, then somewhere, something is fundamentally wrong.
This is not a call to refuse medical assistance to those in need, but rather a question as to where are South Africans going for assistance because, as said by one woman on social media: 'We have been pushed out of hospitals and forced to go to private practitioners.'
Who, then, are government clinics meant for?
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Let it be understood, compliance is regulation and not xenophobia. The government often talks of good neighbourly relations, a welcoming home for all Africans… but the same government now refuses to take any more strain from illegal immigrants.
Even though the economy is in under strain, the timing of the government's admission is nothing short of dubious.
It was first brought to our attention in 2008. The nerve for us to feign shock and horror when illegal foreigners took the government to court, forcing its hand to allow their stay and the enjoyment of civic provision.
What the politicians use as an electioneering tool, which is close to the hearts of every citizen, becomes the carrot dangled for votes at election time.