Cape Town – South African lawmakers have told parliament that certain immigration laws need to be repealed to address concerns about undocumented foreigners while protecting citizens’ access to public services.
Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, chair of the Portfolio Committee on Health, said South Africans’ worries about undocumented individuals using public facilities cannot be ignored, but actions must respect legal boundaries. He addressed the issue during a briefing by the social services cluster on Thursday, which reviewed progress on health, education, and social services.
Organisations such as Operation Dudula and March to March have been removing people believed to be undocumented from public clinics and hospitals, directing them to private facilities. Dhlomo acknowledged the public’s concerns but warned that such methods may constitute criminal activity.
“While there are pressures like long queues and shortages of medication, we need different ways to handle these issues,” Dhlomo said. He noted discussions with Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, who suggested that aspects of the Citizens Act and the Refugees Act of 1998 should be reviewed and potentially repealed through Parliament to better regulate access to public services.
Both Dhlomo and Makhi Feni, chair of the Select Committee on Education, Sciences and Creative Industries, urged civil society groups to avoid barring undocumented individuals from healthcare and education. They stressed that lack of documents does not automatically indicate illegal status.
Feni said about six million South Africans lack proper documentation, making it difficult to distinguish between citizens and non-citizens. “These children are not illegal; they simply don’t have the required papers. Processes must be put in place to address these challenges,” he said, noting that undocumented South Africans represent roughly 11% of the population.
The committees called for engagement and cooperation between the government and civil organisations to ensure citizens’ rights are upheld while addressing immigration concerns.
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