Mbalula: Zuma’s ‘Mabahambe’ endorsement is fuelling anti-migrant hostility ahead of June 30 protests

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has accused former president Jacob Zuma of acting irresponsibly by endorsing the slogan “Mabahambe”, saying the endorsement is fuelling hostility towards Africans ahead of planned June 30 demonstrations calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.

What Mbalula said

Speaking at a media briefing in Midrand, Mbalula criticised the MK Party and Jacob Zuma’s alignment with the March and March movement’s stance on immigration. He said Zuma had “endorsed March and March and effectively embraced its position” and that the former president was encouraging anti-immigrant sentiment.

Mbalula described Zuma’s support for the June 30 protests as “irresponsible.” He said:

“Jacob Zuma is an elder in this country. He was president, and South Africans are failing to hold him accountable for things that happened under his watch. He understands the immigration challenges we are dealing with, yet today he is joining the debate irresponsibly.”

He added:

“How can someone who was a leader not so long ago appear on a public platform and call for actions that could fuel violence? Does he understand the consequences? These people do not know what they are talking about.”

Context: the June 30 demonstrations and security response

The demonstrations on June 30 are being organised by more than 20 anti-migrant organisations and civil society groups, including March and March. Organisers told a media briefing in Midrand they pledged the protests would be peaceful and would not result in violence, looting or loss of life, although March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said her organisation would not take responsibility if violence occurred, saying maintaining public order is the responsibility of the state.

Police have increased security ahead of the planned protests. Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia warned that criminality, intimidation, incitement to violence and the destruction of property would not be tolerated, and announced that the government had allocated more than R600 million for a national security operation ahead of the demonstrations.

Political alignments and accusations

The MK Party, ActionSA and the Inkatha Freedom Party have publicly expressed support for the March and March-led protests. Mbalula accused Zuma of supporting March and March for political reasons and said Zuma had weakened the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal without using violence.

Mbalula also argued that some responsibility for current immigration challenges lay with Zuma because many of the issues developed during Zuma’s presidency. The source notes Zuma served as president from May 2009 until his resignation in February 2018, and that the ANC officially expelled him in July 2024 after suspending him in January for endorsing the MK Party.

On how migration should be handled

Mbalula said migration must be addressed through effective state institutions rather than vigilante action, saying people cannot “take the law into their own hands, attack others and engage in unlawful conduct.” He said the concerns raised about illegal immigration are “genuine and real” and that the state must increase its capacity to address the challenge.

He also referenced the long history of migrant labour in South Africa and said economic and political developments in neighbouring countries had contributed to migration into South Africa. He recalled measures such as exemption permits for Zimbabweans, saying they were introduced “because of the scale of the challenge.”

Commentary and responses

Political analyst Dr Bernard Sebake was quoted saying Zuma was attempting to highlight failures of the ANC-led Government of National Unity and that what Zuma is doing is “the work any opposition party is expected to do in competing for voters’ support in a democratic society.”

Sebake said the central issue is competing political narratives over who bears responsibility for migration challenges and described Zuma’s campaign as “nothing but a political gimmick” intended to “further weaken the ANC’s dominance by appealing to South Africans who are frustrated and uncertain about where to place their political support.”

IOL News reached out to the MK Party’s national spokesperson, Sifiso Mahlangu, for comment on Mbalula’s remarks. However, no response had been received by the time of publication, according to IOL.

Why this matters

Mbalula framed the debate as one requiring state-led solutions and warned against actions that could undermine social cohesion. He said the issue of illegal migrants “has existed for decades and requires a determined response,” and that it should not be resolved through unlawful conduct.

According to IOL, the protests and the political arguments around them have drawn warnings from government and police about potential unrest and unlawful conduct.

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