As South Africa grapples with numerous social, political and economic challenges, immigrants have been blamed as the cause of these challenges, resulting in informal campaigns such as Operation Dudula and Put South Africa First, which are ostensibly focused on driving illegal immigrants out of the country.
The voice of the immigrant, meanwhile, has remained conspicuously hushed and muted, creating an unhealthy monologue in which the attribution of fault never gets to be gainsaid or contradicted.
In all this, the colonial origin of migration and its attendant benefits for South Africa go unmentioned. Interlocutors conveniently overlook the fact that South Africa used to run a system of labour recruitment from its neighbouring states, including Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
The scary reality is that these gangs have innumerable sympathisers across the social spectrum, with some believing their programmes are necessary. Although mainstream political formations such as the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters are constrained by the law regarding statements ethically permissible in drawing political manifestos, informal campaigns are willing to depart from the rule book through strategies designed to get them quick political support – regardless of the impact on society.
Events surrounding the arrest of Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini, known as Nhlanhla Lux, have unveiled the centrality of informal formations in shaping the political landscape and their potential as kingmakers in the coming elections. In a quest for relevance and by openly fighting for Lux’s release, Kunene and Mashaba have affirmed themselves as his partners.
The success of Action SA in the 2021 local government elections, directly attributable to antiforeigner campaign slogans, demonstrated the power of the anti-immigration mantra. Not to be outdone was the EFF, which subsequently undertook a tour of business premises with the objective of investigating the employment of foreign workers and citizens.
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