'Our towns are hijacked' : ANCYL leader calls for crackdown on illegal foreigners and crime in South African towns
ANCYL president Collen Malatji addressed delegates at the ANC’s National General Council in the Northern Cape, calling for decisive government action to combat rising crime and undocumented immigration in urban areas.
Image: Collen Malatji / X
The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has called for urgent and decisive action against the rise of criminal activity and the presence of illegal foreigners in South African towns, warning that the situation is spiralling out of control.
Speaking at the 2nd ANCYL National General Council in the Northern Cape, ANCYL president Collen Malatji painted a bleak picture of lawlessness in urban areas across the country, saying South Africans feel like foreigners in their own communities.
“The issue of crime and violence in this country is huge. Our towns are taken over by criminals, mainly illegal foreigners. Every small town in this country is hijacked by drug lords and illegal foreigners,” said Malatji.
“And our law enforcement agencies are not doing anything about it.”
He singled out areas such as Hillbrow, Durban’s South Beach, Sunnyside in Tshwane, and Kempton Park near OR Tambo International Airport as examples of places where South Africans no longer feel safe.
“You go to Hillbrow, you go to Durban South Beach, you will think that you are an illegal foreigner yourself,” he said.
“South Africans can’t even move from the airport. They can’t even book in Kempton Park.”
There has been growing national concern over the rise in undocumented immigration and its alleged links to organised crime.
Communities across the country have reported a surge in drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other illicit activities.
Authorities continue to battle porous borders, weak immigration controls, and limited law enforcement capacity, leaving many towns vulnerable to the influence of criminal networks.
Experts have cautioned that while undocumented migration contributes to some of these challenges, crime cannot be addressed in isolation. Poor policing, corruption, socio-economic inequality, and the failure to secure borders are also widely acknowledged as key drivers of the crisis.
Malatji warned that continued inaction would result in a national crisis and called for urgent, coordinated intervention to restore public order.
“It is not sustainable. It is a disaster in waiting. You can't say you are a caring government if you can't protect your people and put their interests first,” he said.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
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