‘Take them to the border’: Phakela’umthakathi on asylum centres

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Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, the Ubunsizwa Nobunsizwa Foundation founder, says South Africa’s asylum seeker application is being abused by people who live in the country illegally for years before claiming to be refugees.

The anti-illegal immigration activist, commonly known as Phakela’umthakathi, led a march to the department of home affairs head offices in Pretoria on Friday morning to deliver a memorandum of demands.

“We are pleading with the home affairs department to take refugee centres near the borders, so that when someone gets declined they don’t even enter the country,” he said.

Ndabandaba questioned how someone could reside in South Africa for years without proper documentation and then seek asylum.

“We are saying every illegal foreigners must go out of the country, let us fix the borders. Everybody from all over the world, they are welcome in South Africa if they come legally. If you are illegal, get out of our country.”

Afrika Mayibuye Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Themba Nzimande said many South Africans felt ignored by the government.

“South Africans are not happy; they’re dissatisfied, discontent, and we are carrying the voices of many South Africans who could not be here today to say we are not happy. We will make noise until they hear us,” Nzimande said.

Nzimande pleaded with the minister of home affairs to listen to the concerned citizens, alleging that limited state resources were already exhausted while government moved asylum seeker applications online.

“We are putting South Africans first; we are not xenophobic,” Nzimande said.

Marcher Esther Mphahlele said the plan to take asylum applications online contributed to the march.

“The department of home affairs contributes to this march today because they want to introduce the online applications for asylum seekers,” she said.

She questioned why asylum seekers bypassed neighbouring countries to apply in South Africa, which is “very far from their countries”.

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