Stricter immigration controls needed, says Enoch Godongwana amid rising urban pressures
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has called on metropolitan municipalities to urgently improve project delivery and confront the growing pressures of urbanisation and immigration, warning that South Africa’s limited resources and struggling economy can no longer sustain inefficiency and unchecked population growth.
Speaking at a meeting on National Treasury’s trading services reforms in Durban on Monday, Godongwana expressed frustration over chronic underspending by government departments, particularly in the human settlements sector, where significant grant funding has been returned unspent, despite South Africa borrowing heavily to finance these projects.
“I’m inclined to say yes, we did allocate money for human settlements,” he said. “But you will only get it again if you provide a bankable project. Because we go to the market and borrow this money, and when it gets here, it’s not spent.”
Godongwana warned that poor performance should not be rewarded with further funding, stressing that municipalities failing to deliver cannot expect automatic budget allocations in future.
He also addressed the immense strain that population growth is placing on public services, noting that for every 100 people who come to South Africa, 51 remain in poverty.
“People move from different parts of the country and come into poverty,” he said. “Whether legal or illegal, it’s a problem.”
Godongwana went further, criticising the constitutional principle that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it,” calling it “a grave mistake.”‘
Reflecting on ideological debates from the 1980s, he referenced a group known as the “AmaZim-Zims,” who opposed the notion of open access to state resources.
“AmaZim-Zims used to say, ‘You guys are wrong, South Africa cannot belong to everybody.’ Now I say the AmaZim-Zims were correct,” he stated.
On immigration, Godongwana called for an objective and open national discussion, asserting that South Africa must enforce its immigration laws and ensure only legal entrants benefit from public services.
“People must come to our country legally. Those here illegally should be sent home. Our resources are limited,” he said.
Godongwana painted a grim picture of the country’s economic state, noting that South Africa’s GDP per capita has been declining since 2014, and the weakening rand is stretching public resources even thinner.
“When I say per capita, I mean per person. I don’t include others,” he said. “Our rand is declining compared to what we’ve had. Now we have got others claiming the same rand.”
Addressing urban challenges, he described worsening informal settlements and overcrowding, where some newcomers leapfrog long-standing residents in service queues.
“We have all these squatter camps and they become first in the queue, while there is somebody who has been in the backyard for years,” he said.
Godongwana’s comments come amid a rise in anti-immigration sentiment across South Africa, with civic groups like Operation Dudula and the March and March movement staging protests in several cities.
These groups have demanded the deportation of undocumented foreigners and stricter immigration controls. IOL has reported that these groups have even stormed clinics and blocked undocumented migrants from accessing public healthcare.
Drawing from his experience in Zanzibar, the Godongwana suggested that South Africa could consider implementing a visitor insurance policy to reduce strain on public resources.
“I was caught at the airport (in Zanzibar) and was told I couldn’t enter unless I took out insurance. We took it on the spot, because if anything happens inside, the state doesn’t carry the cost, the insurance company does,” he explained.
Emphasising the importance of an honest and rational debate, Godongwana rejected claims that such conversations are xenophobic.
“We should not be saying the people who are debating are arguing from a xenophobic perspective. We’re not,” he said.
“People must come to our country legally. The ones that are sitting here illegally, surely we should be sending them home.”
Godongwana urged political parties to address how infrastructure and service delivery can be sustained amid population growth and economic challenges. He pointed out that municipalities struggle to raise revenue while demand for services grows.
“Municipalities can’t raise levies. National government can’t raise taxes. How are we going to serve the service of a growing population? That discussion needs attention,” he said.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
IOL Politics