Mandela Foundation and ANC condemn anti-immigration group’s use of Mandela Day

The Nelson Mandela Foundation and leaders within the African National Congress (ANC) have condemned the anti-immigration group March and March for utilising Mandela Day to target undocumented migrants in the Eastern Cape. The group launched operations on July 18 to inspect businesses and physically remove foreign nationals, arguing that the state has failed to enforce immigration laws and prioritise local employment. The Foundation stated that such actions undermine Nelson Mandela’s core principles of human dignity and constitutionalism, while critics view the targeting of migrants as scapegoating for broader state failures.

Mbongiseni Buthelezi, chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, described the group’s actions as divisive and unacceptable. He told Al Jazeera that groups using the occasion to rid cities of immigrants were turning a day of service into one of division. Buthelezi emphasised that South Africa’s economic and social challenges, including high unemployment and inequality, should not be blamed on migrants, noting that opportunistic actors are seizing upon real grievances about state failings.

The controversy highlights a shift in how the day is observed. Nelson Mandela International Day, established by the United Nations in 2009, traditionally involves 67 minutes of community service to commemorate Mandela’s 67 years of public life. However, March and March has opted for direct action in towns across the Eastern Cape, Mandela’s home province. The coalition argues that undocumented migrants contribute to job competition and place pressure on communities struggling with limited opportunities, calling for tighter border controls and stronger enforcement of immigration laws.

Snuki Zikalala, president of the ANC Veterans’ League, stated that former President Mandela would never have condoned the targeting of African migrants. Zikalala said the ANC, which Mandela led until 1997, bore some responsibility for failing to remain active in communities and allowing poor leadership to take hold. The party, which currently governs through a multi-party coalition after seeing a decline in support, has been accused by Zikalala of allowing porous borders. He described March and March as a group being used to destabilise the country, an allegation the organisation’s leaders have rejected.

The dispute has revived a broader debate over how Mandela is remembered in today’s South Africa. Neeshan Bolton, executive director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, noted that Mandela’s identity as a liberation leader has been overshadowed by a simplified image of community service. This year’s Mandela Day theme is “It is still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity.” Meanwhile, the government continues a nationwide migration operation that has deported or repatriated more than 53,000 foreign nationals, while authorities have warned communities not to take the law into their own hands.