SA’S ANTI-IMMIGRATION LEADERS NOW FIGHTING AMONGST THEMSELVES
By Gabriel Manyati
The movement that has shaken South Africa’s immigration debate and sent thousands of foreign nationals scrambling for safety is now fighting a battle within its own ranks.
A bitter public dispute involving anti-immigration activists Phakelumthakathi, Ngizwe Mchunu and Jacinta Ngobese Zuma has exposed deep fault lines in one of the country’s most influential and controversial civic movements.
At the centre of the storm is an explosive allegation by activist Nhlanhla Lux that activist Phakelumthakathi, whose real name is Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, has been using high-profile figures such as Ngizwe Mchunu and Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma to build his personal profile and strengthen his own organisation. The accusation, made on social media and amplified through online platforms, has sparked fierce debate among supporters and critics alike.
For months, these activists appeared to be marching in the same direction. They shared platforms, attended protests together and projected a united front in demanding tougher action against undocumented immigrants and stronger enforcement of immigration laws.
Now that unity appears to be fracturing.
The public falling out comes at a critical moment. Anti-immigration movements such as March and March and Operation Dudula have become powerful voices in a country gripped by high unemployment, deep inequality and growing frustration over crime and failing public services. Their campaigns have drawn thousands onto the streets and have become influential enough to command meetings with senior government officials and attract international attention.
But the movements have also attracted fierce criticism from human rights organisations and foreign governments, which accuse them of fuelling xenophobia and scapegoating migrants for problems rooted in governance failures and economic stagnation.
The latest row has brought another uncomfortable question into focus: who really leads South Africa’s anti-immigration movement and what are their ambitions?
Phakelumthakathi has rapidly emerged as one of the most recognisable faces of the campaign. With fiery speeches and a growing online following, he has positioned himself as a grassroots champion of ordinary South Africans who feel abandoned by the state.
Ngizwe Mchunu, meanwhile, commands significant support through his emphasis on Zulu identity and cultural nationalism, while Jacinta Ngobese l-Zuma has transformed herself from radio personality into one of the country’s most prominent anti-immigration campaigners through her March and March movement. She has repeatedly insisted that her campaign is not xenophobic but rather a demand for the enforcement of existing immigration laws.
Nhlanhla Lux occupies a different space.
The former face of Operation Dudula built his reputation in Soweto through community activism and campaigns against crime and undocumented migration. He has increasingly sought to distance himself from some of the rhetoric and methods of other activists while presenting himself as a defender of communities and constitutional order.
His latest accusations suggest a growing battle for influence within the movement itself.
Political analysts say such tensions are perhaps inevitable. Movements driven by charismatic personalities often struggle with questions of leadership, legitimacy and personal ambition. Social media has accelerated this dynamic, turning activists into celebrities and every disagreement into a public spectacle.
The anti-immigration campaign is no exception.
Facebook pages, YouTube channels and online platforms have become powerful tools for mobilisation, but they have also become arenas for rivalry, accusations and personal attacks.
Meetings that once would have taken place behind closed doors now unfold in public view, with supporters choosing sides and fuelling divisions.
The timing of the dispute is particularly significant.
The anti-immigration movement has never enjoyed greater visibility. The nationwide demonstrations of recent weeks represented some of the largest anti-immigrant protests in South Africa in recent years.
Yet success has brought new pressures.
Questions about funding, political affiliations and future ambitions continue to swirl around the movement. Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has publicly rejected suggestions that hidden interests are financing her organisation, insisting that it is supported by ordinary South Africans.
Critics remain unconvinced.
Some accuse the movement’s leaders of exploiting public anger over unemployment and crime for personal and political gain. Others argue that the activists have succeeded precisely because they have articulated frustrations that many South Africans feel but believe mainstream politicians have ignored.
That tension lies at the heart of South Africa’s immigration debate.
The country’s unemployment rate remains among the highest in the world, and public confidence in government institutions continues to decline. In such an environment, anti-immigration activism has found fertile ground.
But internal divisions could weaken the movement’s ability to sustain pressure on government and may raise doubts among supporters about whether the campaign is truly about policy reform or increasingly about personalities and power.
For ordinary South Africans watching from the sidelines, the spectacle is revealing. Behind the slogans, marches and social media campaigns lies a movement grappling with the same human realities that have shaped political organisations throughout history: ambition, rivalry, competition and the struggle for influence.
Whether the current rift becomes a temporary disagreement or a permanent split remains unclear. What is certain is that the battle over immigration in South Africa is no longer only about borders and undocumented migrants.
It is also becoming a battle over who gets to lead one of the country’s most powerful and polarising social movements.
And that battle has now moved into the open.
