ANC Youth League President Collen Malatji has vowed that youth could take up arms to forcibly remove illegal foreign nationals from South Africa if police fail to act.
In an interview following his uncontested re-election, Malatji said the ANCYL would mobilize young people to “clean out” hijacked buildings and towns occupied by undocumented migrants. He declared readiness to “die for South Africa to come first.”
The remarks come amid heightened anti-immigrant sentiment, with groups like Operation Dudula and political parties calling for mass deportations. Malatji linked the presence of illegal foreigners to crime, unemployment, and drug abuse, claiming black South Africans are being sidelined in their own economy.
He also urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare youth unemployment a national disaster and to remove underperforming ministers. According to recent statistics, 42.7% of young people aged 15–34 are not in employment, education, or training.
Malatji’s comments reflect increasingly militant rhetoric around immigration, though they risk inciting violence and vigilantism.