Herman Mashaba Vows ActionSA Will ‘Put South Africans First’ with Tough New Stance on Foreign Nationals and Immigration
Johannesburg – ActionSA president Herman Mashaba has vowed his party will unapologetically “put South Africans first” by overhauling immigration rules, welcoming foreign nationals only if they bring rare skills, visit as tourists, or invest at least R5 million through the Reserve Bank – a bold crackdown aimed at curbing illegal entries and easing strains on jobs, housing, and services.
Mashaba’s fiery pledge, shared on social media on Thursday, September 18, 2025, ramps up ActionSA’s long-standing push to tighten borders amid rising tensions over undocumented migrants. The former Johannesburg mayor, who built his political brand on crime-busting and anti-corruption, didn’t hold back on the “abnormality” of unchecked inflows. “Foreign nationals are welcome in South Africa, but they must bring rare skills not available, visit the country on vacation or bring in a minimum of R5m investment into the country. Please, not through mattresses or sofas. Strictly through the Reserve Bank,” he posted, a cheeky jab at cash smuggling that’s sparked chuckles and cheers online. With South Africa’s unemployment at 33% and townships bursting at the seams, Mashaba’s words tap into frustrations felt by millions, positioning ActionSA as the no-nonsense voice for locals squeezed by global pressures.
Mashaba’s Immigration Overhaul: Rare Skills, Tourism, or Big Bucks Only
At the heart of Mashaba’s vision is a three-pronged entry gate: rare expertise that fills SA’s skill gaps – think engineers for green energy or doctors for rural clinics – short holidays that pump cash into tourism without long-term claims, or hefty investments funneled transparently via the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). No more grey areas, he insists, for folks slipping in via porous borders or bogus visas, which ActionSA blames for undercutting wages in sectors like construction and retail.
This isn’t Mashaba’s first rodeo on the issue. Back in March 2025, he penned an open letter to foreign nationals, urging them to “respect the law or be taken back” to their home countries, a missive that drew 50,000 shares and sparked debates in Parliament. By June, ActionSA tabled a bombshell proposal to tweak the Constitution, stripping undocumented migrants of automatic access to basics like healthcare and schooling – a move Mashaba called essential to “stop the free-for-all that’s draining our fiscus.” Clinics in Joburg, he noted, see over 70% of patients as foreign nationals, many undocumented, while housing waits stretch years for citizens. In July, he linked the migrant surge to SA’s 2.5 million-unit shortfall, arguing undocumented arrivals “undermine our fight against the housing crisis” by competing for limited RDP homes.
The R5 million threshold? It’s a Mashaba hallmark, echoing his 2019 mayoral days when he floated similar investor visas to lure clean capital, not suitcases stuffed under sofas – a nod to infamous cash-laundering busts at OR Tambo. ActionSA’s manifesto spells it out: mandatory skills audits for work visas, deportation drives for illegals, and a “South Africans First” bill to prioritise locals in jobs and tenders. “We are going to address this abnormality,” Mashaba thundered, framing it as tough love, not hate – welcome if you add value, but no freeloading on a struggling Rainbow Nation.
Roots in Reality: SA’s Immigration Crunch and ActionSA’s Rise
South Africa’s border woes are no secret. Home Affairs reports over 2.9 million undocumented foreigners as of mid-2025, up 15% from last year, with porous spots like Beitbridge letting in traders, job-seekers, and worse – cartels peddling drugs and humans. The Zimborders fiasco, where 200,000+ illegals flooded in during 2024’s festive rush, left Gauteng reeling: overcrowded spaza shops sparking deadly fires, like the 2023 Marshalltown blaze killing 77, and taxi wars flaring over routes eyed by foreign drivers.
Mashaba, 65 and battle-hardened from his Unilever days to Soweto activism, sees it as a betrayal of post-1994 dreams. As Joburg mayor from 2016-2019, he deported thousands and shut illegal shebeens, earning brickbats from rights groups but cheers from fed-up residents. ActionSA, born in 2020 from his mayoral fallout, has grown to 200,000 members by riding this wave – snagging 10% in 2024’s GNU elections and now eyeing 2026 locals as a springboard. Polls show 60% of voters back stricter borders, with black South Africans – ActionSA’s core – hit hardest by job competition in townships.
Critics cry foul, though. Human Rights Watch slammed Mashaba’s rhetoric as “toxic” in a 2024 report, warning it stokes xenophobia that saw 2023 riots torch foreign-owned shops in Diepsloot. The DA, ActionSA’s uneasy GNU partner, calls for “balanced reform” without constitutional meddling, while the ANC accuses him of “dividing the nation.” Mashaba fires back: “I’m protecting the poor, not chasing shadows – illegals take our opportunities while elites sip champagne.”
Election Edge: ‘South Africans First’ as ActionSA’s Battle Cry
With 2026 locals looming – a chance to flip councils in hotspots like Tshwane and Joburg – Mashaba’s line is pure politics. ActionSA’s “Put South Africans First” slogan, plastered on billboards from Cape Flats to Limpopo, ties immigration to bread-and-butter fights: fix borders to free up jobs, houses, and clinics for citizens. In a July 2025 rally, he rallied 5,000 in Soweto: “No more handouts to those who jump queues – our kids come first!”
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