It's Topical | Locals & foreign nationals face off on immigration debate

On this episode of It’s Topical, we throw the spotlight on immigration. As South Africa's Government of National Unity marks 100 days, has there been any progress or regression in the immigration issue?
To unpack this question we are joined by Sihle Lonzi from the EFF, Funzi Ngobeni from ActionSA and the Immigration law Expert, Ashraf Essop. People from various backgrounds, both locals and foreign nationals, voice their concerns about immigration.
For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.

[@samkelokey4656]

We are tired. We need tougher laws. We don't have another home as South Africans. We have to fight for our Country

[@khanyaiq1465]

Nothing is more disrespectful than being told by foreigners what to focus on and to blame our government while they failed to confront their own governments and decided to be a burden here

[@khosinimsebele7835]

@khanyaiq1465 respect has no nationality or certain group of especially people, every person must be respectful or be respected. Plus you must be specific what you fighting with? Tell you government to official announce that among all African countries Zimbabweans documented or undocumented are not wanted in south Africa. Then they will know and leave your country. Because it's clear that it's not about undocumented foreigners or documented this a clear hatred against a certain group of your choice to hate and abuse.

[@jamespick5199]

They open scrap metal companies in Rosettenville residential area, Rosettenville was a beautiful are , check how they mess it up

[@kevinc3236]

Rosettenvile was my hang out spot back in the day. Now it's a drug den full of nigerians.

[@AfricaIsOneNews]

What are these Foreigners doing on our Show SABC? their voices don't matter here.

[@dudumatlala6227]

Abahambe, even Doctors, who took an oath to save lives are involved in these criminal activities. One Nigerian Doctor was arrested in Jhb, so howvdo we trust them?

[@Userde989]

These are not doctors, they are fake

[@musandasikhwivhilu]

What is stopping African countries who gained independence in the sixties to progress both politically and economically?

[@Lily-ed2sc]

I have never seen people who are fighting tooth and nail to remain in a xenophobic country lol

[@Trenchwarsoldier-x5v]

Patriotic not xenophobic! You say the same to us white people calling us racist, yet citizens are mostly united on many issues like Africans not being here! It cannot be both people are wrong and you are right! It’s really you are not our problem, fix your country because we fixing ours!

[@TubeAfrica]

it does not make sense. where is their pride?

[@LuckyKgasu]

Every one must fix his problem

[@mixedtraveler3585]

Where is the PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE representative.i wish we had them on this segment.

[@Coco-kw3iv]

South Africans do yousee that this constitution is not designed to protect us in anyway? Niyakubonayni lokho???

[@jam-fam]

Zimbabweans like to make demands on other nations. It's the people of Zimbaweas jobs to fix their OWN government.

[@welldonerufu4865]

Don't forget ANC is eating with zim government that was rejected in 2023 elections...Your president was the first to congratulate....be realistic

[@joliekalubi4748]

Why only Zimbabwe? Or black? There is many white foreigner here even your police are afraid to search

[@joliekalubi4748]

This is just to promote xenophobia

[@SandiswaMankayi]

​@@joliekalubi4748don't count white foreigners is a most are open job opportunitys

[@Nick-hu6nu]

​​@@joliekalubi4748Tell them. They are not anti foreigner they are anti black Go after business owners then Zimbabwe and others it doesn't slove anything

[@christopherbastiaan492]

The GNU must do something before we the citizens do. This time it could be worse than 2008. The people are fed up. Amantla Awethu. Abahambe!

[@fanamlawuli6761]

What debate? They must go home!

[@Missk1516]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 they cant debate in their failing governments they come and debate here.

[@Wethruyk]

Exactly. We are not going to be in negotiations with them regarding criminality and our country.

[@dudumzuke6488]

They have more rights than us

[@fanozikhumalo1435]

To be honest our government failed us isithengisile singama south African ngoba I don't think ukuthi ayikuboni lokhu futhi I don't think ukuthi ayizizwa izikhalo zama south African, sekufuneka sizibambele mathupha manje

[@TubeAfrica]

It’s the jumpers that are the problem. They want you to fight your own government, but the jumpers are to blame. You can’t fight your own system just because people from outside chose to jump into your country illegally. If your government had really failed you, you would be the one jumping to their countries. Their governments failed them. All we have to do is not accept them into our society. They will make you make bad choices by voting dubious characters if you are not careful. dont listen to them. they know their illegalities. they know that they are not wanted everywhere in the world.

[@jam-fam]

They keep their heads down in their own country, then demand human rights when they get caught committing crimes. They skip many countries, then demand asylum in South Africa.

[@kevinc3236]

and then they destroy SA like they destroyed their countries

[@NdabukoMlungisiNgobeni-cc3ol]

Okuzaziyo ukuthi kuyi goduga aku goduke kubuyela kuvela khona skhathele siwu Mzansi 😢

[@samkelokey4656]

@@NdabukoMlungisiNgobeni-cc3ol sidiniwe. Sizode sithathe umthetho ezandleni mf2

[@keletsimaifo]

EFF guy is can’t come up with his own ideas; he always coming with copy and paste reasoning from the internet

[@jam-fam]

We are awake now as South Africans, we will organize ourselves, and we change this constitution if we need to. The Constitutional court clearly did not make a decision that is in the best interest of South Africans.

[@leratomoshesh7409]

Say that again mama. Home affairs official are the ones destroying our country.

[@ncami7319]

Exactly. Mama is telling the truth

[@TubeAfrica]

I have Never Seen A South African on Zimbabwean, Nigerian, Mozambican etc. TV telling Zimbabweans or Nigerians or Mozambicans what to do in their own country.

[@KazieD]

I was also saying this not long ago, you will never ever see South Africans anywhere crying to be accepted by other nations. Thina we are at home here in SA fixing our own government.

[@Wi_ZAR]

What are these foreigners doing on SABC? 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

[@Majozilukhozi]

As south Africans we don't share SA with anyone.. we also don't care about their problems in their own countries we have our own problems as south Africans. EFF problem is Malema

[@raymondzhou1804]

My question for dudula what are they doing in training the communities when remove the foreigners, what plans do they have isn't of having fighting mentality without building communities

[@Trenchwarsoldier-x5v]

We as South Africans cannot even begin to build communities while Africans are here… they are not citizens and taxes cannot pay for them! It’s obvious… when Africans go homes the prices of housing immediately becomes affordable as then it’s not 10 people wanting a home it’s 2 and easy to fix!

[@juliasindale9467]

The main problem they don't respect our South African laws wena okhuluma ngo America when you go there there is law and you respect is only South Africa where the laws are not respected even in their country's they respect their law's other problem is Home Affairs, department of Labor, Police officers they don't do their job to make our country to be respectful and borders and law reactriction must be abide in businesses and we are prisoners in our country we can't move freely lento eyenzakalayo.angazi ibizwa ngokuthi yini kunini sikhala akuzwakali sesiyozwa ngani okay thanks

[@zamaphungula3367]

This thing of critical skill disgut me because the government shoud use that to tailor our education to be inline with skills needed in country. I mean the gentleman is speaking about the critical list wich included sheep shearing aibo you can introduce learnship for such skill instead of importing people. Also the school syllabus needs to be revised what is the purpose of LO this is waste of time doesn't add any value in mant university it doesn't count.

[@MbongeniNdlovu-n8v]

Wena ewekapisi lamasosha uyazi yini ukuthi lelizwe ngelamakhosi anjengo Senzangakhona uDingane uShaka uMzilikazi namanye engingawaqambanga akulona izwe labopresident leli nepolitiki uyabonakala unenhliziyo embi uyabonakala

[@nkululekongwenya7859]

Aw elamazulu kanti nawe unenhliziyo embi mawusho njalo ngoba ucabangela amazulu what about other tribes that you don't mention......lelizwe elika n Jehova nakho konke okukulo

[@Coco-kw3iv]

@@nkululekongwenya7859 uJehova ulinikezele emakhosini as custodians... Of course elakaJehove kodwa unike amaKhosi kube yiwo alawulayo. So please siyacela izindaba zamaSouth Africans ezethu. Thina asizingeni ezaseZimbabwe. Kuyaxaka ngendlela nigaxela ngakhona ezindabeni zethu. Amakhosi are landlords in South Africa... Full Stop!

[@MbongeniNdlovu-n8v]

Bengibekisela nje Ngwenya lelizwe ngelamakhosi onke esizwe esimnyama la eSA hayi opresident ngadayisi bomuntu omnyama kondlebezikhanya ilanga

[@MbongeniNdlovu-n8v]

Opresident ngabadayisi bomuntu omnyama kondlebezikhanyilanga

[@Proudly_South_African]

ABAHAMBE!!

[@Masline-q6b]

Msunu abahambe pi

[@ishtiaqkarjikar]

Reality is south african labour's must improve reliability, honesty, productivity please SA citizen and politicians not saying single word?😢

[@Trenchwarsoldier-x5v]

Africa are not our problem, how must we help Africans when you don’t even go home? Must South Africans leave our homes to overthrow your homes,fix your farms, build your schools, build you homes while you play citizen in our country??? When has Africa ever told those Arabs to go back to Iran and Iraq… you didn’t just kick Bantus out you sold your own people as slaves and kicked whites out of Egypt!!! Then you even tell whites and colourds here we are settlers and must go back to Europe??? Africa for Africans is what you keep saying but do not recognise any of us or even apologise!!! Citizens are not going to change our minds! These politicians are about to be removed and our answer will be the same! We cannot even help currently because you are not even trying, you are running away from your mess and then bring your same communism here….

[@HelenJooste-i8i]

Mr Scheiber why don't your people respond on invitations to account😂😂😂

[@musasakala1634]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@SabeloTaswell]

Our parents fought for this country let them go fight for their generation to come to be proud of

[@IfeomaMbolu]

Go and ask your so called father's many African countries helped and gave south Africa money during south Africa struggle

[@SabeloTaswell]

@@IfeomaMbolu they help us to come and ruin our country?

[@reubenmketwa2076]

Its such a shame that a lot of commentators think foreigners are Nigerians and Zimbabweans yet 70% of South African Land is in the hands of REAL FOREIGNERS in the WHOLE Province of WESTREN CAPE. Majority of all Restaurants is owned by these FOREIGNERS . The world is now a Global space, let anyone work where they wish in my humble opinion as long as you have the Legal Documents. If anyone thinks a mere government is going to give them a Job, they live in dreamland.

[@juliasindale9467]

Hulumeni ngiyakucela lungisa izinkinga zezingane zethu kunini zikhala ngemisebenzi zakuvotela wazithembisa imisebenzi iphi leyo misebenzi kudlalwa ngezi ngane zethu sibafundise nzima labantwana sithintitha konke silala singadli ukuthi babe nekusasa eliqhakazile kodwa lutho ngmpela ayilungiswe lento please thanks

[@Donell_B]

To be free we must all be free, View Africa as a single entity.

[@Coco-kw3iv]

How are you going to be free when you don't work for that freedom in your countries? Instead fighting South Africans for fighting for their freedom. You are reversing everything South Africans fought for ...

[@Kwazulujabul]

UK and USA also has a huge problem with illegal foreigners.

[@awethuzanga1631]

This is bad, now this EFF guy made me see something now, he says there's no broader to protect eish ANC have failed us, 2) the other guy says it could be 5 million of these guys here, no that's a lie, he can multiply that 5 million by 5, i can estimate up to 25 millions of these people here in south africa, they can't be less than 20 million never

[@TubeAfrica]

You can’t have people who entered your country illegally tell you to fight their own government for it. Their governments failed them, that is why they are here through dubious ways. OUR government is doing something right, that is why you & I are not Jumping to neighboring countries. Wake up, or else you will destroy your own government, VOTE for wrong people at the advice of invaders who only seek to extract and add no value to your country. Illegal foreigners are to blame for illegal immigration and the issues associated with it; they are the problem. there is not immigration crisis without the immigrants. They want Us to fight your own government, but they could not fight theirs to start working and developing home. Don’t listen to them, They know they aren’t wanted anywhere in the world. the only ACT like UK and USA welcome them with open arms.

[@Kwazulujabul]

ASA has no policy, useless party.

[@priscillalatchmiah7939]

Yes. They are going overseas 'cause they have papers. They are not jumping border fences.

[@IfeomaMbolu]

Black south Africans dont travel out of South Africa

[@allanwhittaker4700]

They must GO

[@thabangtladi8057]

People who owns land in their own black owned countries but they want to come and fight poor black South Africans for their crumbs and telling them their are lazy mxm sis 🤮Even foreigners with critical skills, thwey number should also be limited. We dont want to partner with foreign spaza shops owners but we want all small business and low skilled jobs to be 100% strictly reserved for locals. SA soldiers are dying daily in Mozambique, DRC but Congolese , Mozambicans etc are all over SA fighting and demanding thinhgs they cand demand back home mmxm, this fake one Africa thing is rubbish

[@musasakala1634]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@juliasindale9467]

Bomakhi akeniyolungisa ekhaya nisebenzile seni ryt ne gaan huise toe aseblief

[@SabeloTaswell]

What about those who got ids illegally so.

[@Kwazulujabul]

No BEE in the township spaza shops.

[@SollyShopKing]

Which one foreigner national Indian white black for example south Africa truck no pass Mozambique or Zambia Kenya tanzan please guy open mind

[@Trenchwarsoldier-x5v]

Ngunis!!!! These ones of SADC… Africans cannot keep running into our country all those countries 100 years ago was Southern Africa today Africa has colonised us again!!!! Go home

[@kevinc3236]

And they add to those economies when those trucks enter. It's innyour best interest for those trucks to enter.

[@khosinimsebele7835]

Some of the foreigners on ZEP have left south Africa for better opportunity in other countries, some have passed on, but why the statistics remain the same? Also Home affairs is to blame for delaying to issue legal document. Immigration is political opportunity if you want to draw a crowd to follow you. The environment is so toxic.

[@Coco-kw3iv]

Delaying what documents? This is an entitlement we resent as South Africans. Who says the documents must come back allowing you to stay in SA?

[@khosinimsebele7835]

@Coco-kw3iv you are saying people must be legal, how they going to be legal with document? What is your real agenda about foreigners? One day the truth will come out. You must tell all south Africans in other countries to come do to others what you want done to you, plus south Africa should not act like an island.

[@Coco-kw3iv]

@@khosinimsebele7835 just go home please! We have been telling you to go! So what come clean are you talking about? South Africa cannot be in isolation now that we need to enjoy what our grandparents fought for? But SA was in isolation then wasn't it? Please guys leave our country...

[@khosinimsebele7835]

@Coco-kw3iv what we are going to do is, that all African countries must come together, 1. Boycott your products in their countries. 2. Close their airspace and transportation 3. Stop supporting south African companies in their countries. 4. All south Africans in other countries documented or undocumented must come to their countries. 5. Zimbabweans must Close beitbrudge boarder for any south African registration number or business using Zimbabwe root. U are very easy and simple to deal with. In as much we don't support an criminality by foreigners or south Africans, crime has no nationality. I don't support anybody. But any one makes himself a black person's enemy he/she becomes my enemy too I'm proud to be an African in African. One Africa.

[@Coco-kw3iv]

@@khosinimsebele7835 go home ! That's the agenda n its been clear since day one...

[@georgethabethe4265]

Abaye ekhaya bayolungisa khona

[@GoforiGugu]

😂abafuni

[@samkelokey4656]

@@georgethabethe4265 sizohambisa ngenkani

[@Userde989]

Stay together where? Silima go home

[@bonolomakgatadeluent3150]

Viva EFF

[@FREEDOCUMENTARY-AFRICATO-ir2kp]

LAW EXPERT WHO IS ALSO A FOREINER , HE DOES NOT HAVE SOUTH AFRICA INTEREST AT HEART, HIS HEART IS IN INDIA

[@awethuzanga1631]

Julius Malema will chase away(fired man that one) that guy representing EFF there mark my words, he is one of us

[@mahlareniwilsonmojela7681]

Politicians are only there to manage our anger as SA citizens so that it doesn't get out of control, but I fear that one day south Africa will be turned upside down by us citizens because these politicians think they hold more power...

[@welldonerufu4865]

Dont end ZEP

[@thabangtladi8057]

dont fight for staying in SA, go fix Zimbabwe

[@Donell_B]

Apartheid has evolved, it wears many faces but only has a single character.

[@siphosethusolomon8141]

Great initiative department of home affairs must start scrapping some immigration acts that were amendment in favor of foreign national. Simple we not fighting just fair.

[@ignited2aspire72]

Sheep shavers shortage😂😂😂

[@Trenchwarsoldier-x5v]

😂 even I laughed at this! That is not even a skill, we’ve been doing that ourselves for hundreds of years 🥴

[@laurencemakgabo1766]

But why are you only inviting foreigners?

[@Masline-q6b]

Because of mindset

[@ababibabzee7758]

I dnt think if foreigners are a problems in SA. Things is that the government should wrk with boder issues. Corruption is everywhere.

[@fanamlawuli6761]

@@ababibabzee7758 go home

[@Trenchwarsoldier-x5v]

They a problem! Who must build them homes? Schools? Feed them? Hospitals? Don’t be stupid man, it’s foreigners are the ones selling drugs! Look at Zimbabwe Botswana Tanzania Mozambique Namibia Angola Zambia and Kenya… not even 100 years ago it was Southern Africa and one country!!! You colonised all of that and now want what we have now? Africa must put this effort in Northern Africa ottomans and Nigeria who created this problem! It’s not only Europeans fault it’s because of African themselves

[@Coco-kw3iv]

Uyanyanyisa!!!

[@Coco-kw3iv]

So foreigners occupying jobs unlawfully are not a problem? Is that what you are saying?

[@Masline-q6b]

​@@Coco-kw3ivwat job

[@JOY29702]

"Because we are Gatvol"😂😂

[@tshumamike1848]

Your president is supporting the dictatorship in neighboring countries mbalula said chamisa was a parpet of whites but himself joined them so it's clear that he them here

[@Coco-kw3iv]

We don't care! Go sort it out! We have our own external forces influencing our politics. Do you see us being cry babies and flooding their countries? Tsek maarn

[@leochako527]

The world is watching how black South Africa's don't want to see next door Zimbabwe's nothing else

[@jam-fam]

Like the world sees Zimbabwean criminals in the News, kidnappers, Zama Zama terrorists, the world see Zimbabweans who do not like themselves, nothing else.

[@thabangtladi8057]

the world is watching and doing niothing to help Zimbabwe

[@jam-fam]

@@thabangtladi8057 the world is watching Zimbabweans doing nothing for themselves. Commiting crimes in neighboring countries... Zama Zamas, Hijackers, Kid nappers... demanding rights on other nations instead of standing up for themselves at home

[@Lily-ed2sc]

why are Zim people fighting to remain in a country that does not want them?

[@Trenchwarsoldier-x5v]

Zimbabwe is stealing our minerals in illegal mining syndicates and selling it to Saudi Arabia… you even stealing copper wires and destroying our infrastructure!

[@congointernationalnews1506]

Listening to the audience, especially to the Dudula's from words to their faces you see hatred based on no foundation. Foreign nationals have helped the SA citizens alot in terms of skills transfer. Ref: Workshop in Durban. Illegality of foreigners and crime has to fall on government officials but not to the victims.

[@jam-fam]

Focus on Congo, your input is not required in our internal affairs.

[@TubeAfrica]

You can’t have people who entered your country illegally tell you to fight their own government for it. Their government failed them, that is why they are here. Your government is doing better that is why you are not Jumping to neighboring countries. Wake up, or else you will destroy your own government at the advice of invaders. Illegal foreigners are to blame for illegal immigration and the issues associated with it; they are the problem. They want you to fight your own government, but the jumpers are to blame. You can’t fight your own system just because people from outside chose to jump into your country illegally. If your government had truly failed you, you would be the one jumping to their countries. Their governments failed them. All we need to do is not accept them into our society. They will push you into making bad choices by voting for dubious characters if you’re not careful. Don’t listen to them-they know their illegalities. They know they aren’t wanted anywhere in the world.

[@MildredNdlovu-v2y]

Musuzulu said they is land if people want can go talk to the king he is more than welcome

[@Coco-kw3iv]

Please let them go Zulus are ready for them...

[@Userde989]

Isilima leso

[@Lygbeats0708]

All I've heard is a bunch of weak and xenophobic people putting the blame on wrong people Instead of blaming their authorities All I see is anger directed to the wrong place, misinformation and luck of proper education.

[@TubeAfrica]

You can’t enter another country illegally and then tell its people to fight their own government because of it. Illegal foreigners are to blame for illegal immigration; they are the problem. They want you to fight your own government, but the jumpers are to blame. You can’t fight your own system just because people from outside chose to jump into your country illegally. If your government had truly failed you, you would be the one jumping to their countries. Their governments failed them. All we need to do is not accept them into our society. They will push you into making bad choices by voting for dubious characters if you’re not careful. Don’t listen to them-they know their illegalities. They know they aren’t wanted anywhere in the world.

[@jameskillu9171]

south africa belong to all who live in it, locals and foreigners. we are all one.

[@francisbenjamin3286]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@MasixoleMaxwell-z8x]

That's an old song

[@jesiarmakgoana1775]

In your dreams

[@markwhite5926]

Until Isis or some other Islamic terrorist group comes in... Then let's see if that works

[@ZodwaMbonani]

Jameskillu is a Shona from Zimbabwe

[@jameskillu9171]

The Zulu king adviced that foreigners be treated well

[@MasixoleMaxwell-z8x]

This is not his country

[@GoforiGugu]

​@@MasixoleMaxwell-z8xmtshele 😅😅😅😅😅

[@takisomohale5180]

This is not his country go to zulu land

[@GoforiGugu]

@@takisomohale5180 Don't put like that... mybe you should say he is not representing Zulus

[@Cleo256]

He said they must not stay in cities but come serve under his Kingdom....he said they must come to him

[@Userde989]

Nelson Mandela legacy yamasimba go home doti

[@Hlapogadi6216]

😂 😂😂😂

[@Said_Abdul]

Estimated illegal immigrants is almost million, the cost of deportation would be billions. The home affaIrs should find a way to documents those who are already here,thus m aking south Africa free undocumented persons.

[@mariahkamogelomoloisane6276]

Government must tell them to go back home, we pay more than a billion for them to be here.

[@Skyre0]

@@mariahkamogelomoloisane6276 uyisiwula

[@Missk1516]

Imagine legalizing over a million people who have their own country??

[@jam-fam]

@@Missk1516 they are lazy thinkers who are quick to make opinions.

[@Lily-ed2sc]

No. A lot of these people do not qualify to be here. They are not refugees. They are economic migrants. They should come through the right channels. We are not going to document illegal foreigners.

[@KlipDriftCoke]

#SayYesToXenophobia

[@IfeomaMbolu]

Because you are lazy that's why you are tackling foreigners. You have every opportunity to study but you didn't now you are blaming foreigners