Herman Mashaba Urges Joburg Voters to Back ActionSA in Fight Against Illegal Immigrants, SA Divided
- Herman Mashaba shared his thoughts on a video of aggressive illegal immigrants in the City of Johannesburg
- The ActionSA leader called on voters to give his party a chance so that it could deal with what he described as lawlessness
- South Africans shared mixed reactions to Mashaba's post, with some noting what happened when he was the Johannesburg Mayor
- A police officer who spoke exclusively to Briefly News explained what happened to foreigners when they were arrested
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Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG - Herman Mashaba is urging residents in Johannesburg to give ActionSA a chance so that the party can deal with the issue of illegal immigrants.
Frustration has been growing in the country over the number of illegal immigrants, with groups like Operation Dudula and March and March taking a stand.
Mashaba, whose party has been vocal about the issue as well, believes that ActionSA can deal with it.
Mashaba urges voters to give ActionSA a chance
The ActionSA leader sparked mixed reactions on X (formerly Twitter) when he urged voters to give his party the mandate during the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections GE to decisively deal with the issue of illegal immigrants becoming a law unto themselves.
He made the appeal while sharing a video allegedly depicting illegal immigrants harassing police and immigration officials. In the video, foreigners allegedly took to the streets in Johannesburg, vowing retaliation and saying they're not going anywhere because South Africa is in Africa.
ActionSA’s stance on illegal immigrants
Mashaba’s party has been very vocal about illegal immigrants in the country before. In June 2025, ActionSA submitted a proposal to amend South Africa’s Constitution. The proposal called for limited access for undocumented foreign nationals when it came to basic rights such as housing, healthcare and education.
In July 2025, the party released a statement, ActionSA reaffirming its rejection of the continued abuse of South Africa’s public healthcare system by illegal foreign nationals. The statement was released after the South African Human Rights Commission reiterated that access to healthcare services in the country was the right of everyone within the Republic’s borders.
In 2024, Mashaba supported the Department of Home Affairs' decision to deport illegal foreigners, despite it costing R52 million.
Source: Getty Images
A police officer, who asked not to be named, told Briefly News that one of the biggest problems was that illegal foreigners weren't deported, or if they were, they just returned to South Africa.
She explained that when they were arrested by officers, they were given a small fine and subsequently released.
How did South Africans react to Mashaba’s post?
Social media users were divided by the post, with some promising to vote for ActionSA over their stance on foreigners, while others expressed reservations about it.
Those against Mashaba:
@FlyAtWill asked:
“This one uses everything for campaigning. What did you do about immigrants in Tshwane?🤧”
@VaPhiri stated:
“You were once the mayor of Johannesburg and did nothing much about this issue.”
@nsbusiso800
“But even after a person voted for you, Sir, you simply gave up the COJ to a useless Mayor. Now I don't know if you'll sell my vote to the ANC again😭.”
@mikemlamboM asked:
“How many did you deport when you were Mayor?”
@SamyGMedia questioned:
“You were Joburg Mayor before. What did you do? Don't lie to ordinary South Africans.”
Those in support of Mashaba:
@Mnca_mnce said:
“You are definitely getting it from me. But, please do not block us once you are in power and we start demanding accountability on your promises just like ANC cadres are doing now.”
@ghettostar_22 added:
“My vote is going to you, Lord Hermy🔥.”
@PursuitOfMellow stated:
“It's the only answer. If Johannesburg residents fail to give it to ActionSA, then we will be fighting for something that could have been easily avoided by effective governance.”
@slashboogie said:
“Definitely going to vote for you, Mr Mashaba🔥.”
@MoscurryLeshawn stated:
“Say less. It's already yours, Sir. These things all happened under the ANC, DA and EFF.”
Mashaba calls for foreign-owned spaza shops to be closed
Briefly News reported that Mashaba called for the closure of foreign-owned spaza shops to prevent further deaths.
He made the comments after Panyaza Lesufi said 23 people died from food poisoning-related incidents since October 2024.
Some South Africans agreed with Mashaba, while others fiercely debated his statements and called him out.
Source: Briefly News
