Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on South Africa’s immigration challenges, United Democratic Movement (UDM) parliamentary representative Nqabayomzi Kwankwa urged a shift from rhetoric to results, cautioning that historical patterns of unmet commitments must not repeat.
Kwankwa framed the current moment as a critical test of governmental resolve. “The taste of the pudding will be in the eating,” he remarked, underscoring that policy announcements hold little value without tangible execution.
He traced the migration debate back over 15 years, citing a 2007 African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) country report that explicitly warned South Africa about the consequences of undocumented migration—particularly its strain on labor markets and impact on economically vulnerable populations. The report, produced by the Pretoria-based continental body, called for legislative and policy interventions that, Kwankwa noted, were never fully realized.
A second wave of xenophobic unrest in 2015 prompted parliamentary action. At that time, the Speaker established an ad hoc committee and deployed MPs to constituencies to engage communities amid rising tensions linked to irregular migration. Despite these efforts—and repeated governmental assurances to adopt regional and continental strategies—Kwankwa observed that core challenges persist due to inconsistent implementation.
While firmly rejecting violence and vigilante actions, Kwankwa affirmed the legitimacy of encouraging undocumented individuals to voluntarily engage with authorities to facilitate orderly return processes. He emphasized that repatriation is not solely South Africa’s burden, arguing that neighboring governments should address the root causes driving emigration.
“Other nations cannot continue to shift blame for their own governance failures onto South Africa,” Kwankwa stated, adding that such deflection exacerbates domestic tensions and undermines cooperative regional solutions.
He also challenged political elites to avoid dismissing the legitimate concerns of citizens in under-resourced communities. Referencing the tragic loss of more than 20 children last year to food poisoning connected to spaza shops, Kwankwa questioned why similar incidents involving affluent demographics would provoke immediate outcry, while hardships in townships are often minimized.
“When suffering affects the poor, it is too easily overlooked in favor of abstract debates,” he said, urging that policy responses center the lived experiences of marginalized South Africans.
Kwankwa concluded that while the UDM acknowledges the importance of high-level engagement on migration, lasting progress depends on transparent monitoring, accountable execution, and sustained political will—elements that have been notably absent in previous cycles of commitment and inaction.