We Support Deportations, But No Vigilantes: DA Leader Breaks Down Party’s Stance On Foreigners

DA KwaZulu-Natal leader Sithembiso Ngema says the party agrees that illegal immigrants should be deported, but does not support the hooliganism currently being used to pursue them. In a video released as the 2026 local government elections unfolded, Ngema drew a line between enforcing immigration law through the state and the street-level action that has been seen in parts of the province.

Ngema’s position is that the removal of people without legal status is a legitimate function of government, provided it is carried out by the authorities through due process. Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of national departments, including Home Affairs, and the police, who must verify documents, follow the law on detention and arrange lawful deportation. Her objection is to vigilante-style action, where groups take matters into their own hands, confront people in public, or intimidate them, which bypasses those safeguards.

The concern is well founded in KwaZulu-Natal, where anti-immigrant sentiment has repeatedly spilled into violence and intimidation in recent years. Foreign nationals, including refugees and asylum seekers with valid documents, can be wrongly targeted when communities take enforcement into their own hands. South Africa’s Constitution protects everyone in the country, citizen or not, from unfair discrimination and guarantees the right to dignity and to bodily integrity, and the police are obliged to protect people regardless of their nationality.

The timing of Ngema’s remarks matters. Election periods often heighten tensions around migration, as parties compete for votes by promising tougher action and voters raise concerns about crime, jobs and services. Reports during the voting period have included allegations that people without South African citizenship cast ballots, which has fuelled demands for stricter enforcement. Such claims are typically investigated by the Electoral Commission of South Africa and the police, and their outcomes should be established through evidence rather than public accusation.

Ngema’s comments also reveal a tension within opposition politics. Parties such as the MK Party, the Patriotic Alliance and ActionSA have all campaigned on tougher immigration controls, and some supporters have pressed for faster and harsher action. By separating the goal of deportation from the methods used to achieve it, the DA in KwaZulu-Natal is trying to appeal to voters who want stronger enforcement while distancing itself from groups that intimidate foreign nationals.

Whether this distinction resonates will depend on what happens next. If authorities respond to community complaints with lawful operations, backed by adequate policing and proper processing of cases, the call for enforcement without hooliganism may gain support. If the rhetoric stays broad and enforcement remains weak, residents will continue to feel that the state is failing them, and frustration may keep finding outlets in unlawful action. The video’s full context is not clear from the excerpt, so the precise scope of Ngema’s remarks should be checked against the complete footage before drawing firm conclusions.

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