DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille has warned against turning the city’s migration crisis into a platform for violence.
She said that although local government had no constitutional power over international migration, it must insist on due process.
Zille made the remarks during an interview with Prof JJ Tabane on the Frank Dialogue Podcast, produced in collaboration with Sunday World, in a discussion that will be released on the Sunday World podcast YouTube channel today at 10am.
The interview places Zille under scrutiny as she campaigns to take over the City of Johannesburg in the November 5 local government elections, with immigration, service delivery and coalition instability expected to dominate the battle for the metro.
Asked whether she would support a tougher stance, including mass deportations, she said: “There are no very simple answers to these highly complex questions.”
Zille said the DA’s position was that foreign nationals in South Africa legally must be protected, while those without legal status must either leave or regularise their stay through proper processes.
She added that the party did not support attacks on people from other countries but said the state had to fix slow and cumbersome immigration systems.
Asked about the position of March and March, which has called for undocumented migrants to leave, Zille said she had met the organisation and described the meeting as “cordial” and “direct”.
“If March and March want to say people must go now, then I will say … let’s go through the processes but please don’t create a space where violence can flourish.”
The panel includes Prof Lesiba Teffo, Dr Pali Lehotla, Prof Dirk Kotze, Ido Lekota and Sunday World journalist Mokgadi Makwela.
- DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille has warned against turning the city’s migration crisis into a platform for violence.
- She said that although local government had no constitutional power over international migration, it must insist on due process.
- Zille made the remarks during an interview with Prof JJ Tabane on the Frank Dialogue Podcast, produced in collaboration with Sunday World, in a discussion that will be released on the Sunday World podcast YouTube channel today at 10am.
- The interview places Zille under scrutiny as she campaigns to take over the City of Johannesburg in the November 5 local government elections, with immigration, service delivery and coalition instability expected to dominate the battle for the metro.
- Asked whether she would support a tougher stance, including mass deportations, she said: “There are no very simple answers to these highly complex questions.” Zille said the DA’s position was that foreign nationals in South Africa legally must be protected, while those without legal status must either leave or regularise their stay through proper processes.
DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille has warned against turning the city’s migration crisis into a platform for violence.
Zille made the remarks during an interview with Prof JJ Tabane on the
Asked whether she would support a tougher stance, including mass deportations, she said: “
Zille said the DA’s position was that foreign nationals in
Asked about the position of March and March, which has called for undocumented migrants to leave, Zille said she had met the organisation and described the meeting as “cordial” and “direct”.
“If March and March want to say people must go now, then I will say … let’s go through the processes but please don’t create a space where violence can flourish.”
