The MK Party has spoken against tribalism following anti-illegal immigration marches across the country led by Zulu cultural activists Ngizwe Mchunu and Nkosiikhona Ndabandaba, also known as Phakelumthakathi.
The issue of illegal immigration has seen frustrated South Africans taking part in the marches where in some cases, foreign-owned spaza shops and cars were set alight, with the locals accusing foreigners of taking their jobs and having to compete with them over access to basic services such as healthcare and economic opportunities, among others.
This has prompted the MK Party to table a private member’s bill seeking to reserve spaza shop ownership exclusively for South African citizens.
The party said the proposed legislation, which stems from concerns about illegal trade and undocumented foreign nationals operating in the township economy, is intended to promote economic inclusion.
In a statement on Tuesday, MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said it had been observing and monitoring recent activities across the country and “condemns the recent tribalistic statements that have been made on public platforms”.
We reject the scapegoating of Zulu-speaking communities, or any other group, as a solution. Tribalism neither hides nor resolves the structural challenge of illegal immigration; it affects South Africans and all ethnic groups and deepens divisions among those most affected
— Nhlamulo Ndhlela, MK Party spokesperson
“At a time of rising unemployment, and growing social pressure, political leaders have a duty to unite South Africans, not divide them. Illegal immigration is a serious national issue affecting all South Africans, across every tribe, language group and province. It is therefore misleading and cowardly to frame this challenge as belonging to one community or one province,” Ndhlela said.
Mchunu, Phakelumthakathi, March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese and political parties including ActionSA recently held anti-immigration marches in Durban, KuGompo City (formerly East London), Pretoria and, most recently, Johannesburg.
“Communities across the country have, for decades, raised concerns about pressure brought about by illegal immigrants on jobs, housing, and basic services. From Alexandra Township and Diepsloot to Khayelitsha, these frustrations are well documented, including during the 2008 violent protests and later unrest in 2015 and 2019. Illegal immigration is clearly a national concern, not a provincial or a tribal one,” Ndhlela said.
“We reject the scapegoating of Zulu-speaking communities, or any other group, as a solution. Tribalism neither hides nor resolves the structural challenge of illegal immigration; it affects South Africans and all ethnic groups and deepens divisions among those most affected.”
Ndhlela said the MK Party was committed to firm and lawful management of immigration, and stressed that irresponsible statements undermined social cohesion, fuelled tribal tension and diverted attention from the broader struggle for genuine economic freedom and true liberation.
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