Parties differ on documenting illegal immigrants for traceability

The question of whether to document illegal immigrants in South Africa , not to hand out citizenship, but to regularise immigration in the country and ensure people are traceable when crime is committed, among other things, is up for debate.

However, different political parties seem to have different views on the issue.

As the country is battling the issue of illegal immigration, views on how to solve the problem have ranged from mass deportation to documentation of illegal immigrants.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba insists deportation is the way to go.

“No self-respecting country, anywhere in the world, would accept illegal foreigners.

I don’t understand anyone expecting South Africa to test the chaos.

So, for us as ActionSA, we are very clear about it in the municipalities where we govern: illegal, undocumented foreigners are not welcome,” says Mashaba.

ActionSA leader, Herman Mashaba, disagrees with the idea of documenting illegal immigrants, not as a way of handing out citizenship, but regularising the immigrants and ensuring they are traceable. #SABCNews #IEC pic.twitter.com/247NKw1baU — Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) September 23, 2026 According to Statistics South Africa, the 2022 census put the number of immigrants – both documented and undocumented – in South Africa at between 2.4 and 3.1 million.

In April of this year, the Department of Home Affairs reported that 109 344 deportations had been carried out since the formation of the Government of National Unity.

Following the recent anti-illegal immigration protests in South Africa, thousands more deportations were recorded. ‘Not an option’ Speaking to SABC News following the National Electoral Code of Conduct signing ceremony in Midrand ahead of the upcoming local government elections, Mashaba insists questions around whether to document illegal immigrants amount to confusing legal with illegal.

He says that is a question Home Affairs should answer, but as a party, they are not willing to have that as an option.

“It’s not about us.

It’s about them and Home Affairs.

So, we, as ActionSA, are saying those who are in the country illegally and undocumented, they must go back to their countries,” he says. ‘Capitalist system’ However, the General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Solly Mapaila, who also attended the IEC’s signing ceremony at the Gallagher Estate in Midrand, believes that focusing on illegal immigrants to solve the socio-economic challenges facing the country is misguided.