'Our ubuntu cannot be abused': Lesufi laments crisis of undocumented foreign nationals in Gauteng

JOHANNESBURG – African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng co-convener Panyaza Lesufi has raised concerns over the high number of undocumented foreign nationals in the province. 
 
Lesufi was speaking at the party's provincial task team's two-day lekgotla in Johannesburg, where the party is meeting to address some of the party's challenges ahead of its provincial conference, as well as to prepare for its strategy for the upcoming local government elections. 
 
The ANC in Gauteng dropped to 36% in the 2024 general elections. 

Lesufi, who is also Gauteng's premier, mentioned the Marry Me informal settlement in Tshwane, saying it had emerged that more than 65% of its occupants are undocumented immigrants.  

READ: Gauteng govt confirms plans to formalise Marry Me informal settlement

He said illegal immigration remains a major problem for the province, one that needs to be urgently addressed.

“I can tell you comrades, it’s not Marry Me alone, there are many other similar... we can’t and I know it can create problems, comrades we must be very firm now we can’t have informal settlements where over 65% of its citizens are undocumented foreign citizens, in our own country. It must come to an end, we must be very firm on these things.”

Lesufi said this firm stance must not be characterised as anti-ubuntu.
“There is no country that can agree that you have people that you don’t know who they are, where they come from, where they sleep, what they do, and they are in our country doing as they wish - that period of honeymoon must come to an end…We must be very firm. 'You document yourself or you leave us in peace', and it has nothing to do with any characterisation of our character. Everyone knows about our Ubuntu, but our Ubuntu cannot be abused.”

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