Middelburg – Hope of Residents leader Ben Mokoena has defended calls for stricter action against illegal immigration and drug trafficking, saying South Africans “must not apologise” for demanding law enforcement.
In a video released on social media this week, Mokoena said he believed drug trafficking in South Africa was largely linked to foreign nationals, alleging that Nigerians were mainly involved, with some Bangladeshis and others also implicated.
“Let us be clear: as South Africans, we have said no. We are correct to say no to this category of people because we do not want our country to become a haven for criminals,” he said.
Mokoena linked the issue to illegal border crossings, which he said mainly involved Zimbabweans because of the proximity between the two countries.
“Border jumping is a criminal offence anywhere in the world. You cannot enter any country without documents. As South Africans, we have taken the correct stance. We will not allow our country to be used for illegal activities by undocumented immigrants,” Mokoena said.
To support his position, Mokoena referred to the experiences of South African exiles during apartheid in countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Angola. He said exiles were confined to camps and had their movements controlled by authorities in those countries.
“None of us ran salons, spaza shops or businesses in Angola. Our people were confined to camps. And we respected the laws of those countries,” he said.
Mokoena argued that because South Africans living in exile were expected to follow the laws of host countries, residents today are justified in expecting foreign nationals to comply with South African laws.
“The residents of South Africa are therefore fully supported in saying, ‘we will not allow our country to be used as a haven for drugs and illegal activities’. That will not be allowed,” he said.
The video comes amid ongoing monitoring activities by residents’ groups in Middelburg and Mhluzi.
Earlier this week, the Acting Residents of Greater Middelburg called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Home Affairs to join operations after two individuals suspected of being in the country illegally were identified at Middelburg Mall on 17 June 2026.
