Herman Mashaba, leader of South Africa’s opposition party ActionSA, has strongly criticized the government’s decision to permit children of undocumented immigrants, including those from Zimbabwe, to enroll in local schools.
A memo from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) directs schools to accept all students for the 2025 academic year, irrespective of their documentation status. This includes students who lack identification for matriculation years and undocumented foreign learners.
In an interview with SABC, Mashaba expressed his disapproval, stating that, under his leadership, undocumented individuals would not be allowed to benefit from South Africa’s already limited resources. Citing a report from NewZimbabwe.com, Mashaba remarked:
“South Africa seems to have become a country where passports and VISAs are unnecessary; people simply cross through our porous borders. Our sovereignty has been compromised…
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I cannot understand the reasoning behind this decision. It appears those responsible aim to keep South Africans in poverty.
While I acknowledge that neighboring countries face dysfunctionality partly because of South Africa’s inaction, this decision only exacerbates the situation.
I do not know who this benefits. If it were up to me, undocumented individuals would not be allowed in our country.
Granting them access to services when we can barely provide for our citizens makes no sense. Some schools even face overcrowding, with as many as 90 students in a single class.”
South Africa is home to a significant number of undocumented immigrants, many of whom are Zimbabweans, potentially numbering in the millions.
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