By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula delivered a keynote address at the Volunteers Assembly at the Tills Crescent Sports Ground in Overport, eThekwini, Kwazulu-Natal (KZN).
The mobilization program is aimed at gearing up party volunteers for the voter registration campaign and the 2026 Local Government Elections.
He was joined by ANC KZN Provincial Convenor Mike Mabuyakhulu, members of the National Executive Committee (NEC), and the Provincial Task Team (PTT).
Mbalula said, “the ANC wants volunteers who are ready to work for the people. We are seeing the work of the new PTT and we are seeing the fruits.”
He stressed that the organization’s strength relies on its ground-level mobilization and youth.
In 2024’s general elections, the ANC lost its majority in KwaZulu-Natal, the support dropped to 17%.
KZN has always been a headache for the ANC, even before MK Party, which also ate into support for the IFP and EFF in the province. The ANC in 2019 scored 55.47% in KZN, an almost 10 percentage point drop from the 65.3% it received there in 2014.
Mbalula has also called for a comprehensive legal response to counter unauthorised mobilisation against undocumented migrants, warning that such actions could lead to vigilantism.
He said, the party will not support what he described as an illegal shutdown planned for June 30, aimed at forcing undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.
“As the ANC, we have deferred to the government. What we are against is when citizens organise themselves into groups, take the law into their own hands and call for shutdowns. That is illegal.
“We will not support that. What we will support is addressing the issue, not just in words but through action.”
Mbalula said that while South Africans’ concerns are legitimate, the government cannot allow groups to take the law into their own hands by organising unlawful shutdowns.
He acknowledged that South Africa faces a significant challenge with illegal immigration.
“In this particular instance, the government must formulate a comprehensive legal response to undermine illegal mobilisation, which could lead to vigilantism and result in our country being labelled xenophobic,” he said.
“South Africa is not xenophobic, and we will contest that narrative.
“We are a country at peace with itself and its neighbours. The biggest challenge we face is illegal immigration and people who are not registered in our country.”
He called on the government to take decisive action on immigration.
The anti-foreigner protests have spread across the country in recent days, with flare-ups in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.
Several groups have raised concerns that the anti-foreigner movements and protests, which tap into grievances over unemployment, crime and overcrowded public services, could have deadly consequences, as seen in multiple xenophobic flare-ups since the 2008 attacks, in which 62 people were killed.
According to public opinion data recently released by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), anti-foreigner sentiment has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic, with 42% of respondents now saying they would not welcome any immigrants to the country.