Former President Thabo Mbeki says the “mobilisation against so-called undocumented Africans” is part of a well-funded “counter-revolutionary” attempt to isolate South Africa from the rest of Africa.
Speaking at the Seminar on the National Democratic Revolution on Monday, Mbeki cited how football fans from other African countries appeared to support Mexico against South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“There’s money behind it. There’s purpose behind it. It’s organised. It’s not spontaneous. It doesn’t come from the masses of the people,” he said.
“It comes from somebody who wants to mobilise. Very consistent; you can see the results with this objective.
“You can see a lot of the noise around the continent, a lot of it basing on wrong information, but gradually, you are seeing this marginalisation of South Africa from the rest of the continent, which counter-revolution wants. And there are people who are mobilising today to achieve that objective.”
South Africa has seen a spike in anti-illegal immigration protests in recent months, led primarily by March and March and other civic groups.
These organisations are set to hold nationwide protests on Tuesday, 30 June, which they have also set as a “deadline” for illegal immigrants to leave the country.
Thabo Mbeki says the “mobilisation against so-called undocumented Africans” is part of a well-funded “counter-revolutionary” attempt to isolate South Africa from the rest of Africa
