KwaZulu Natal Premier Thami Ntuli, centre, with Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Musa Zondi, left, leads the provincial celebration of Africa Day parade in Durban on Monday.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
Against the backdrop of escalating anti-immigrant protests and vigilante movements across the country, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli led the provincial Africa Day celebrations in Durban on Monday.
The event, aimed at promoting continental unity and shared identity, arrives at a highly sensitive time for the province.
While a vibrant cultural parade marched through the city to honour African heritage, Premier Ntuli simultaneously reinforced his administration's commitment to using strict legal frameworks to clamp down on undocumented foreign nationals.
Speaking to stakeholders gathered at the Durban Playhouse, Ntuli walked a delicate political tightrope, pairing messages of continental harmony with a firm line on border control.
While reinforcing a message of African solidarity, Ntuli directly acknowledged local anxieties over illegal immigration, drawing a clear line on legal status.
"We have brought together the people of Africa who reside in KwaZulu-Natal to celebrate this day; however, we must emphasise that people should not break the law," Ntuli stated. "Breaking the law starts when you move to another country where you do not have permission to reside."
The Africa Day parade started at King Dinuzulu Park and ended at the Durban Playhouse in the CBD.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
To counter this influx, the Premier highlighted ongoing provincial and national border interventions, noting that the provincial government has already deployed drones to actively monitor hot spots along the KZN borders shared with Mozambique and Eswatini. Ntuli also welcomed national government commitments to ramp up border control personnel and embed advanced security technologies at ports of entry.
Furthermore, the Premier revealed that a structured, multi-month consultation process is already in motion to address community grievances legally, with stakeholder discussions held in February, continuing this month, and scheduled again for June.
In a direct challenge to local residents, Ntuli admonished community members who complain about the presence of undocumented immigrants while simultaneously profiting from them.
"In truth, we are the ones providing accommodation," the Premier noted candidly. "Their influx is partly because they know that we will take the little money they have and provide them with accommodation, and then we turn around and complain that we have a problem."
A central theme of the Premier’s speech was safeguarding the provincial economy from the fallout of volatile street demonstrations. Ntuli warned that disruptive protests organised by anti-immigrant groups threaten to erase KZN's fragile economic gains. He noted that the province's unemployment rate recently fell from 32% to 31%, bucking the broader national trend.
"We cannot afford to be a province that is constantly seen protesting on the streets, as this scares away investors who will think there is no stability," Ntuli argued, adding that such disruptions ultimately destroy employment opportunities for the remaining 31% of job seekers and create voids easily exploited by criminal elements.
The Premier’s office confirmed it is actively engaging with street protest leaders to ensure any future demonstrations remain peaceful, orderly, and within the boundaries of the law.
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