By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Migration outlined a five-point plan covering border security, the rule of law, stamping out corruption in the migration system, cracking down on violence and lawlessness, and refining the legislative framework.
The IMC unveiled the plan during its media briefing on Sunday, 14 June , following its establishment by President Cyril Ramaphosa to coordinate government’s work on migration in South Africa.
The briefing comes amid heightened social friction over migration and sustained anti-migrant protests across the country.
The IMC is also tasked with overseeing the implementation of various interventions, as outlined during Ramaphosa’s address to the nation last Sunday, 7 June 2026.
The committee noted that several technical workstreams have been established to oversee areas including law enforcement, border management, legal and regulatory economic sectors, humanitarian welfare, social sectors, international relations, systems development and data integration, and communication and stakeholder management.
IMC Chairperson, Mmamoloko Kubayi, said the monitoring of the implementation plan will take place through weekly IMC meetings, receiving reports from workstreams and lead champions on the matters.
“Furthermore, the IMC will conduct oversight visits to confirm the received reports where needed, and this will be done in a transparent manner for accountability to the public,” Kubayi said.
As part of ongoing consultations, the IMC will embark on stakeholder engagement sessions, starting on Monday, 15 July 2026, with virtual meetings with Chapter 9 institutions and Chapter 10 institutions.
The committee also warned against the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media, saying manipulated videos and false narratives have contributed to tensions in some communities and risk fuelling violence against foreign nationals.
While acknowledging public concerns about irregular migration and pressure on public services, government urged citizens to exercise their constitutional rights peacefully and to allow law enforcement agencies to carry out immigration enforcement functions.
“As government, we are fully aware of the impact of this challenge on our economic resources and the general strain this causes on the provision of social and economic services. All those who are protesting on our streets are within their constitutional right to do so.”
“We must however, remind ourselves that constitutional rights are accompanied by obligations and responsibilities. One of these is peaceful protest and avoidance of violence and lawlessness in exercising these rights. Whatever march or protest is planned or undertaken should be within the confines of the law,” Kubayi said.
The committee reiterated government’s commitment to work hand in hand with all those involved in protests, including consistent engagements with organisers of the protests.
“We must safeguard and protect the safety of all South African citizens,” she said.
The IMC maintained that South Africa’s migration challenges will continue to be addressed through lawful, constitutional and humanitarian measures, while protecting national security and maintaining regional cooperation.
In Sherwood, a massive gathering of Malawian citizens seeking repatriation has grown to an estimated 7,000 people. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Jabulani Nzuza confirmed that officials had processed and verified 1,140 people so far, all of whom were confirmed to be in the country unlawfully.
The Malawian government has commissioned eight buses to begin moving its citizens, a repatriation effort bolstered by 10 additional buses provided by the South African state. These actions follow the recent deportation of 980 Malawians from the Lindela Holding Centre.
To expedite future deportation and repatriation cases, Kubayi announced that the re-establishment of a dedicated court infrastructure at Lindela was at an advanced stage and would be operational within a month.
Plans are also under way alongside the legal system to pilot a priority immigration court directly at OR Tambo International Airport to fast-track the prosecution of organised crime and illicit border activities.
Amid a wave of planned public protests and social media mobilisation, the IMC took a firm stance against rising xenophobic rhetoric. Kubayi vehemently rejected the narrative that South Africa was inherently unwelcoming.
Since 2008—when 62 people, including 21 South Africans, 11 Mozambicans, 5 Zimbabweans and 3 Somalis, were killed—South Africa has been grappling with intermittent but widespread xenophobic harassment and violence against African and Asian foreign nationals living in the country, whether refugees, asylum seekers, or both documented and undocumented migrants.
South Africa has historically welcomed and continues to host people from diverse countries across the globe, “Kubayi said, emphasising the nation’s continued alignment with the African Union Agenda 2063.
South Africa will also cancel more than 2,000 fraudulently issued study visas following a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into corruption in the Department of Home Affairs.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said, the cancellations form part of a wider government drive to strengthen immigration controls, curb corruption and combat illegal migration.
“The next step is to cancel a number of those visas. We’re starting with 2,000 study visas which were affected,” he said.
Schreiber said investigations had uncovered thousands of visas irregularly issued by corrupt officials, with study permits among the first category targeted for cancellation.
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has deployed drones and body-worn cameras at ports of entry and established roadblocks at key corridors including Beit Bridge.
Schreiber noted that OR Tambo had become a key interception point for people arriving from outside the African continent.
“People from outside of Africa tend to arrive in the country by air, and so the process of deportation or refusing them entry tends to happen in an airport environment,” he said.