Africa Day: Gayton McKenzie Said African Unity Not Only in South Africa

NORTH WEST— The leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Gayton McKenzie, said foreign nationals without legal documents must leave South Africa.

He spoke during an Africa Day on 25 May 2025 event where he addressed the crowd about undocumented migration and national sovereignty. According to SABC News, McKenzie spoke at an event in Moruleng, North West, on 25 May 2026, where the department of Sport, Arts and Culture hosted celebrations.

McKenzie, who recently slammed the Somali Association of South Africa, addressed the crowd. He said that countries in Europe and China enforce passport and visa regulations. He questioned why South Africa should not enforce its own immigration laws. Gayton McKenzie addresses undocumented migration McKenzie said that undocumented people must return to their home countries. He said that South Africa is blamed for xenophobia whenever it seeks to enforce existing immigration laws.

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The PA leader said that African nations cannot achieve unity unless individual countries take full responsibility for their own citizens. He added that citizens from nations such as Zimbabwe and Nigeria should focus on developing their home countries.

McKenzie stated that true African unity requires leaders to ensure their citizens remain at home instead of migrating to look for employment opportunities. He concluded that he chose to speak directly to the audience about these issues rather than reading a prepared speech.

Briefly News speaks to immigration expert

Professor Loren Landau from Wits University spoke to Briefly News about immigration issues in South Africa.

"There’s a need to challenge how the absence of an aggregate number affects planning purposes. While no one may know the precise number of immigrants in the country or their specific locations, the same goes for citizens. However, the census and other surveys provide the kind of generalised trends and numbers that people need to formulate immigration policies, accommodation planning, and infrastructure investment. That government departments often choose to overlook existing data in favour of short-term political calculations is more likely to be the problem is the absence of data itself," he said.

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Gayton McKenzie will not vote against Cyril Ramaphosa

In a related article, Briefly News reported that McKenzie threw his weight behind President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa's future looks uncertain as the ghost of Phala Phala is haunting him, but McKenzie said he is in his corner.

Source: Briefly News