The overall situation regarding migration management in South Africa has significantly improved following the introduction of government’s strategic interventions, Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced on Tuesday.

Providing an update on the Five-Point Plan on Migration Management – initially announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday 7 June, Kubayi praised the cooperation of law enforcement, non-governmental organisations and citizens in maintaining peaceful protests and supporting state efforts.

Five-Point Plan

The plan specifically focuses on restoring public confidence, strengthening the rule of law, protecting borders, modernising systems and enhancing regional partnerships.

“The situation has significantly improved since then and on behalf of government and the entire team that is hard at work in implementing these interventions, we would like to appreciate and thank the support of all role players, including the fraternity of non-governmental organisations, who continue to support our efforts in this regard. 

“We also want to thank the people of South Africa, who continue to heed our call for conducting peaceful protests, [with] vital cooperation with law enforcement authorities,” Kubayi said. 

Government has reported progress across the five areas, including intensified law enforcement operations, strengthened border management, reforms to the immigration system, legislative and policy interventions, and increased cooperation with neighbouring countries.

As part of the crackdown on migration violations, multidisciplinary law enforcement operations have targeted illegal border crossings, fraudulent documentation, labour exploitation, human trafficking networks, illegal mining operations and other forms of organised crime linked to migration vulnerabilities. 

To date, authorities have registered 205 cases, arrested 354 people and placed 123 cases on the court roll targeting illegal border crossings, document fraud, human trafficking and organised crime.

Furthermore, law enforcement teams conducted over 350 000 inspections across factories, supermarkets and spaza shops.

These operations exposed widespread business non-compliance with health standards and labour laws, particularly concerning the exploitation and employment of undocumented migrants.

Joint blitz operations

In response, government issued a stern warning to employers to desist from these unlawful practices.

To sustain this momentum, government has mobilised 6 317 labour inspectors for joint blitz operations and advertised 301 Home Affairs immigration inspector posts, which will be finalised by the end of September.

Significant regulatory adjustments are also underway to secure the domestic economy and modernise tracking systems.

Altogether 34 municipalities have officially adopted the Standard Draft By-laws for Township and Rural Economies, with dozens more in the process of council approval.

Additionally, the Business Licensing Bill was presented to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) in June, aiming to reserve specific business sectors exclusively for South African citizens.

To eliminate systemic vulnerabilities, government also cracked down on the Traffic Register Number system, cancelling all unverified, dormant numbers as of Friday 4 September.

Kubayi reiterated that these combined operations demonstrate a strict zero-tolerance approach to criminality, regardless of nationality, while maintaining total respect for human rights and the rule of law.

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