EFF Responds After Fikile Mbalula Accuses Red Berets of Stoking Vigilantism

• The EFF blames the ANC for border collapse and tensions over illegal migration
• This was after Fikile Mbalula accused the EFF of inciting anti-immigrant sentiment
• The EFF also defends 2022 business visits as constitutional oversight, not intimidation

GAUTENG— The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) blamed the African National Congress (ANC) for collapsing South Africa's borders and creating tensions over illegal migration. The party spoke out after ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula accused them on Facebook of setting vigilante trends and inciting anti-immigrant mobilisation in the country.

According to a statement issued by EFF elections spokesperson Thembi Msane on 2 July 2026, the party has never participated in or endorsed door-to-door campaigns aimed at intimidating or forcibly removing foreign nationals. Msane instead redirected the blame toward the ANC, stating that three decades of governance had resulted in deteriorated border management, selective enforcement of labour laws, and a collapse of public confidence in the state's ability to uphold the rule of law.

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The EFF defends its 2022 restaurant visits

Msane rejected Mbalula's claims regarding the party's January 2022 visits to businesses at the Mall of Africa. Mbalula had asserted that EFF leader Julius Malema led unlawful inspections to enforce a sixty-forty local-to-migrant employment quota, normalising the targeting of vulnerable people. The Department of Employment and Labour condemned the inspections at the time, clarifying that only the department holds the legal mandate to check employer compliance.

However, the EFF maintained that the visits were conducted as part of Parliament's constitutional oversight responsibilities. Msane stated the objective was to ensure compliance with South African labour legislation, stop the exploitation of undocumented workers, and guarantee fair conditions for all employees.

Source: Briefly News