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Activist leads Pretoria march demanding asylum centres at borders

Published

Anti-illegal immigration activist Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, known as Phakela'umthakathi, led marchers to the Department of Home Affairs head offices on Friday. They delivered a memorandum saying the asylum system is abused and that government ignores South Africans.

Ndabandaba founded the Ubunsizwa Nobunsizwa Foundation. He said people who live in the country illegally for years later claim to be refugees, and that this abuses the asylum application system.

Themba Nzimande, the Afrika Mayibuye mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni, also spoke. He said limited state resources were already exhausted while government moved asylum applications online. He said South Africans feel ignored and are not happy.

Marcher Esther Mphahlele said Home Affairs added to the reasons for the march because it wants to introduce online applications. She also said asylum seekers bypass neighbouring countries to apply in South Africa, which is far from their home countries.

Nzimande said: "We will make noise until they hear us".

Key facts

Who
Nkosikhona Ndabandaba (Ubunsizwa Nobunsizwa Foundation founder and anti-illegal immigration activist…); Themba Nzimande (Afrika Mayibuye Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate); Esther Mphahlele (marcher); Department of Home Affairs (government department that received the memorandum)
What
Ndabandaba, founder of the Ubunsizwa Nobunsizwa Foundation, led a march to Home Affairs head offices in Pretoria to deliver a memorandum calling for asylum centres to be built at the borders. Speakers said the asylum system is being abused and that government is ignoring South Africans.
When
23 October 2026
Where
Pretoria, South Africa
Status
Reported

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