Mbeki said SA has always been “the engine of the transformation of the continent for the better” and benefit of all Africans.
The ANC was formed as a Pan-Africanist-leaning political formation which cannot change now by spitting out other Africans who are in the country.
Instead, African countries as a whole should seek integration of its peoples in all aspects of life as regional blocs and SA should be part of this mission.
Said Mbeki: “We have had a Sadc agreement which provides for free movement of people as part of that process of integration. The African continent has a similar protocol which addresses the same thing — free movement of people.
“Does SA say, 'please move freely among yourselves except here'? Then SA ceases to be part of the African continent which I do not think should happen.”
Mbeki said he did not believe South Africans were xenophobic.
According to him, the so called “xenophobic attacks” that have rocked the country on several occasions are sponsored by sinister forces that feel threatened by the economic prowess of the foreign nationals in the country, especially in the informal economy.
“We see ourselves, certainly from the ANC side, as an important engine for the transformation of the continent for the better. When the rest of the continent helped us during our struggle against apartheid, the hope was exactly that, that a liberated SA will be in the front ranks in terms of the transformation of the continent for the better,” he said.
“You cannot play that role and be respected by the whole continent and then define yourself as somebody whose main task is to chase away foreign nationals. It is a contradiction. If the government here tried to build a wall and electrify border fences to keep away foreign nationals, it would not work, people would still come.”
TimesLIVE
Many Lesotho and Eswatini nationals collect social grants in SA, says Thabo Mbeki
The former president says building a wall or electric fence along the border to keep out foreign nationals will not work
Image: Thapelo Morebudi
South Africans must live with the fact that many foreign nationals from other African states will continue to pour into the country to seek a better life.
Going the hardline route as suggested by former US president Donald Trump and building a wall along the border will not stop illegal immigration, says former president Thabo Mbeki.
As things stand, said Mbeki, “many” foreign nationals from Lesotho and Eswatini in particular were already collecting grants in SA monthly with fake IDs and going back to their countries.
Mbeki was speaking to Unisa students in Tshwane on a day that coincided with the 12th anniversary of his recall as the country's president on September 21, 2008.
Mbeki charged many Africans had a legitimate claim for being in SA, having contributed to the liberation struggle against apartheid.
For instance, he said, the Nigerian government as part of its input had done crowdfunding among ordinary Nigerians for the ANC's fight against apartheid.
Such people had an emotional attachment to SA and to think they could be chased away was impractical and impossible.
“Part of the reality here is that you have many people crossing from Eswatini into SA to collect grants. It is the same for Lesotho,” said Mbeki.
“Now, do you want to put an electric fence there to stop those people coming? These are foreign national who are coming to take your grants. SA has got to be bigger than that,” he said.
Mbeki said SA has always been “the engine of the transformation of the continent for the better” and benefit of all Africans.
The ANC was formed as a Pan-Africanist-leaning political formation which cannot change now by spitting out other Africans who are in the country.
Instead, African countries as a whole should seek integration of its peoples in all aspects of life as regional blocs and SA should be part of this mission.
Said Mbeki: “We have had a Sadc agreement which provides for free movement of people as part of that process of integration. The African continent has a similar protocol which addresses the same thing — free movement of people.
“Does SA say, 'please move freely among yourselves except here'? Then SA ceases to be part of the African continent which I do not think should happen.”
Mbeki said he did not believe South Africans were xenophobic.
According to him, the so called “xenophobic attacks” that have rocked the country on several occasions are sponsored by sinister forces that feel threatened by the economic prowess of the foreign nationals in the country, especially in the informal economy.
“We see ourselves, certainly from the ANC side, as an important engine for the transformation of the continent for the better. When the rest of the continent helped us during our struggle against apartheid, the hope was exactly that, that a liberated SA will be in the front ranks in terms of the transformation of the continent for the better,” he said.
“You cannot play that role and be respected by the whole continent and then define yourself as somebody whose main task is to chase away foreign nationals. It is a contradiction. If the government here tried to build a wall and electrify border fences to keep away foreign nationals, it would not work, people would still come.”
TimesLIVE
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