ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Malatji has drawn criticism after claiming that illegal foreign nationals are placing pressure on South Africa’s public services.
Speaking on Wednesday, Malatji said undocumented migration was straining the health, education, and labour sectors, where many young South Africans are already struggling to find jobs. He denied that his remarks were xenophobic, saying that undocumented migrants were not budgeted for in government planning but still used public resources.
Malatji also called on Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber to act against corruption within the department, alleging that illegal identity documents were being issued outside official offices. He linked corruption to challenges in towns such as Germiston, Boksburg, and Johannesburg.
At the same time, he admitted that undocumented migrants were not the cause of shortages in schools and hospitals. Instead, he pointed to government failures in service delivery, citing communities where children still walk long distances and cross rivers to reach schools.
On pan-Africanism, Malatji said the Youth League supports the oppressed across the continent but stressed that South Africa should only accept documented migrants. He also called for the use of modern technology to secure the country’s borders.
His comments come shortly after EFF leader Julius Malema argued that foreign nationals, including Nigerians, should not be blamed for South Africa’s problems. Malema instead pointed to white monopoly capital and imperialist exploitation as the real issue and urged stronger cooperation between South Africa and Nigeria.