Jacinta Ngobese‑Zuma, leader of the civil-society group March and March, said the South African government is pretending to act on illegal immigration. [1]
This criticism highlights a growing tension between civil society and state authorities over the efficacy of border controls and immigration enforcement. If the government is perceived as performing symbolic gestures rather than implementing policy, it may fuel further public frustration and social instability.
Ngobese‑Zuma provided her assessment in a statement to News24 Digital. She said the state has developed a pattern of superficial responses to the issue. The leader of March and March said the government's public declarations do not align with the actual results on the ground. [1]
"Our government has made a very, very big habit to pretend as though they are doing something, when they are doing absolutely nothing," Ngobese‑Zuma said. [1]
According to Ngobese‑Zuma, the administration opts for symbolic gestures instead of taking the concrete actions necessary to curb illegal immigration. [1] This lack of tangible progress, she said, represents a systemic failure to address the root causes of the migration challenges facing the country.
March and March continues to monitor the government's approach to border security and the legal status of foreign nationals. The group said that without a shift from performance to policy, the current immigration crisis will remain unresolved. [1]
“"Our government has made a very, very big habit to pretend as though they are doing something, when they are doing absolutely nothing."”
The accusations from March and March reflect a broader crisis of confidence in South Africa's administrative capacity to manage its borders. When civil society leaders label state actions as mere 'pretending,' it suggests that official government reports on immigration enforcement are not translating into visible changes for the public, potentially increasing the risk of vigilante actions or political volatility.
