ANC NEC member Zizi Kodwa has called for an overhaul of immigration laws in South Africa but said he couldn't suggest closing borders.
Kodwa was speaking on the sidelines of the 6th ANC Policy Conference, which started Friday morning.
“No country like South Africa must just allow anybody to walk in. It has created problems. An overhaul must then be discussed by delegates in the conference,” said Kodwa.
He said they were ready to start the conference as delegates from all nine provinces had arrived in Nasrec, Johannesburg.
Kodwa said delegates had been registering since Thursday.
He said preparations about this conference started way back in the provinces, and here is a culmination of the work that has been going on in provinces. Hence, what would be seen here would be recommendations from provinces.
“This meeting has no power to take any decisions. It must still be recommended by the national conference, which is coming in December,” Kodwa said.
He said the preoccupation of delegates in this meeting is the situation that is facing ordinary South Africans of the mood of the country, high cost of living, high fuel price, and high rate of unemployment.
“I am saying this not withstanding some of the internal issues that delegates have a right to raise, whether it’s issues of step aside and so on, but I can assure you that the preoccupation of delegates we are all worried about the situation we find ourselves. Some of the issues are not of our own making. For instance, we are not an oil-producing country, but we are a price taker of what is happening between Russia and Ukraine. These are the issues globally. How do you deal with issues that define geopolitics. Those issues will be discussed by delegations,” Kodwa said.
He said they carry aspirations and hopes for missions of South Africans.
“We dare not to disappoint them. When we emerge here, we must give that hope to South Africans that indeed we are concerned.
“There is a feeling of lawlessness in the country, whether you are talking about gangsterism, multiple murders, GBV, these are the issues that are preoccupying delegates to this meeting. What effective ways must we deal with various issues, including the issues of immigration?” said Kodwa.