18/06/2026
Today, I stand as an ashamed South African.
I was born and raised in South Africa, and I never imagined I would witness the treatment that many foreigners are facing in our country today. What is happening is inhumane.
What makes it even more painful is that many of the very countries whose citizens we are now targeting stood by us during our darkest days. They supported South Africa during the struggle, yet today we are repaying that solidarity with hostility, discrimination, and violence.
We tell ourselves that foreigners are taking our jobs, but is that really the truth?
Many foreigners bring valuable skills that our country desperately needs. The reality is that generations of South Africans were denied opportunities to develop skills under apartheid because an educated and skilled population would have been empowered. Thirty years into democracy, we still face enormous challenges in education and skills development. Too many of our young people are leaving school without qualifications or practical skills.
Many foreigners may not have formal education, but they have trades, skills, and experience. They work hard, often from early in the morning until late at night, and employers value that commitment.
As a business owner, I have employed both South Africans and foreigners. The only employees who have ever robbed me were South Africans. Never once have I been robbed by a foreign employee who was legally working in this country.
The real problem is not foreigners. The problem is a broken system.
When people try to obtain work permits, study permits, residency, or legal documentation, they are often met with endless obstacles. Instead of creating efficient legal pathways, corruption flourishes. Officials accept bribes for fraudulent documents while genuine applicants struggle to become legal residents.
Mr. President, why not fix the system? Why not make it easier for people to apply legally? Let them pay for legitimate visas. Let them be properly documented. Take their fingerprints. Regulate the process. The revenue generated would strengthen our economy instead of enriching corrupt officials.
God created the earth. Man created borders.
These are our fellow Africans. How can we treat them this way?
We complain that our economy is struggling, yet many foreigners contribute to it every single day. They rent homes and cottages from South Africans. They buy food from our supermarkets. They purchase fuel, clothing, building materials, and services. They pay school fees. They support businesses. They create demand that keeps money circulating through our economy.
Many own businesses that employ South Africans. Yet we loot their stores, destroy their livelihoods, and drive them away through fear and intimidation.
What exactly are we gaining?
Many are now packing up and leaving because they no longer feel safe. Families are living in fear. People who came here seeking opportunity and a better life are being treated as enemies.
At the same time, we complain about unemployment, economic decline, and a shrinking economy.
How can we proudly call ourselves South Africans, speak of Ubuntu, and then turn around and treat human beings this way?
Ubuntu means: "I am because we are."
It is time we remember those words and start living by them.
