Everson Luhanga
Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters promised voters they would hand out RDP houses in the rich suburb of Sandton.
Meanwhile Herman Mashaba, the leader of the newly formed ActionSA, promised voters his party would deport undocumented foreigners back to their home countries.
After an unexpectedly strong showing, it is ActionSA – and not the EFF – which has emerged from the local government elections as the kingmakers in the Johannesburg Metro.
ActionSA’s success shows that anti-immigration sentiment has now well and truly entered the bloodstream of South African politics.
Immigration is becoming one of the biggest political issues on the minds of voters. It’s the same in many other countries. It was the driving force behind the popularity of US President Donald Trump.
ActionSA candidate Shadrack Mkhonto said that everywhere he went on the campaign trail, residents promised him their vote because of his party’s promise to get rid of undocumented foreigners.
Mkhonto ultimately lost to the ANC in ward 105, Alexandra, but he nonetheless noticed resounding enthusiasm for ActionSA’s stance on immigration.
Mkhonto told Scrolla.Africa that the city of Johannesburg is “flooded with many foreign nationals who have been coming to South Africa seeking employment”.
Mkhonto’s anti-immigrant stance mirrors that of the party leader, Mashaba. He has been vocal on immigration, promising that under his party’s government, immigrants will be well documented and those who are not will be deported.
Mashaba has repeatedly denied accusations that he is xenophobic, arguing that it is in the South African constitution that immigrants must be documented.
However, the concerns of those who voted for ActionSA did not centre on the documentation of immigrants. Instead they talked about perceived foreign involvement in crime, and in particular the difficulty of finding jobs.
For example, Lindiwe Masoka said she voted for ActionSA because she hasn’t had a job for most of her life.
“We see other people from other parts of the country coming to South Africa and finding jobs. I have hope that Mashaba, through his party, will help me find a job,” she said.
Image source: @HermanMashaba
