Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has reignited a fierce national debate regarding South Africa’s immigration framework following controversial remarks delivered at an EFF manifesto launch at Dr JL Dube Stadium in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal.
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Responding to public anxiety over unsolved violent crimes, including the discovery of nine women’s bodies across Ekurhuleni, Malema argued that the state should systematically document all undocumented migrants currently residing within the country’s borders.
Law enforcement and the case for biometric registration
Under Malema’s proposed approach, formally capturing the biometric data, fingerprints, and residential addresses of undocumented individuals would provide law enforcement with the tools needed to investigate major crimes effectively.
The EFF leader noted that when untraceable crime scene evidence prevents police from identifying suspects, registering foreign nationals establishes an accountable paper trail.
CIC Julius Malema responds to a question about women being killed in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, and explains why he believes it is important for everyone to be properly documented so that individuals can be traced and held accountable. “Its a war declared against Women” #VoteEFF… pic.twitter.com/T2tJd0zEBA
— zizipho (@zizipho50) September 19, 2026
Furthermore, Malema emphasised that formal registration would allow South African authorities to utilise international legal mechanisms, such as formal extradition treaties, if suspects attempt to evade prosecution by crossing back into their home countries.
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Scepticism and the push for mass deportation
The proposal has met swift criticism from rival political figures, civil society groups, and social media commentators who argue that documenting undocumented entrants rewards unlawful entry.
Critics contend that individuals who intentionally bypass legal border posts to avoid tax obligations or evade criminal warrants in their home countries have little incentive to report to government offices voluntarily.
Opponents assert that rather than extending documentation to undocumented populations, state resources should be directed toward strengthening border security, expediting deportations, and enforcing existing immigration laws.
Balancing Pan-African ideology and state security
What are they being documented as vele?…
Illegal immigrants who own businesses that did not invest +R5 million as required, don’t have any critical skill and don’t even qualify to be a refugee because they did not flee their home country because of war, violence, conflict, or… pic.twitter.com/nlKfQUM9g3
— TWAR___SA🇿🇦 (@TwaRSA26) September 19, 2026
Malema’s position highlights the ongoing tension between the EFF’s long-standing Pan-African rhetoric and the pragmatic realities of South Africa’s security apparatus.
While mainstream political discourse in South Africa has increasingly favoured stricter border regulation and rapid repatriations amid rising socio-economic pressures, the EFF’s proposal attempts to bridge border regulation with continental solidarity.
As political parties refine their manifestos, the debate over whether documentation or deportation provides the most effective pathway to national security remains a central fault line in South Africa’s public sphere.
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