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Ndza khensa, Mutshami wa Xitulu.

Minister, Honourable Members.

Today, I wanted to join my fellow Members in highlighting the deep-rooted issues within this Department and proposing solutions. I intended to speak about budget allocations for the Border Management Authority and the Electoral Commission (IEC). I wanted to address the issue of blocked and fraudulent identity documents and the impact they will have on the integrity of the upcoming elections.

But I cannot.

Because as much as I want to speak about policy, today we must speak about humanity.

This week, Velani Ludidi – a well-known and celebrated journalist who has dedicated his life to uncovering and reporting on issues that affect everyday South Africans – was asked if he is a South African. I remember the same question being asked of others who look like me back in 2008.

Honourable members, my fellow South Africans, why do we never ask White people whether they are South African? How have we reached a point where we celebrate the presence of travelers from Europe, yet villainize our fellow Africans, and even our fellow South Africans?

In his response, Velani correctly pointed out that our fellow dark-skinned people are not the enemy. Over 75 percent of tourists visiting South Africa with valid documents are from Africa. Our tourism industry, a significant pillar of our economy, is built on fellow Africans. We must ask: who benefits from us turning against one another when we could be partners in growth?

This does not mean we should ignore the frustrations of ordinary citizens. Our education, health, and basic service infrastructure are barely keeping up, and South Africans rightfully feel abandoned by the state. But we should not place blame on those who suffer just as much from our government’s failure to deliver services and enforce its laws.

Minister, today I addressed my fellow South Africans, but I want to end by addressing you directly. The current status quo, where South Africans are turning on one another, is a direct consequence of our dysfunctional immigration and border control system.

I have said this before and I say it again: our system must work, and our laws must be implemented. A working system would make it near-impossible to enter this country illegally. A working system would make it easy to do so legally and ensure that we know exactly who and what is entering and exiting our country.

Let no South African ever be made to feel like they do not belong.

Ndza khensa, Mutshami wa Xitulu.

Issued by Makashule Gana MP, RISE Mzansi National Leader