Khumbudzo Ntshavheni Insists There Will Be No Shutdown on 30 June, South Africans Disagree
- Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has weighed in on plans for a national shutdown
- Civic organisations like March and March called for a shutdown over the illegal immigration crisis
- South Africans weighed in on the minister's statement on social media, but many were not impressed
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG – There will be no national shutdown of the country on 30 June 2026.
That’s according to Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, who weighed in on calls for a national shutdown over the illegal immigration crisis in the country.
March and March and other civic organisations and individuals have called for the shutdown if the government does not act decisively against undocumented foreigners. Illegal immigrants have also been given until 30 June to leave the country.
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What did Ntshavheni say about the shutdown?
While briefing the media on Friday, 5 June 2026, about the outcomes of a recent cabinet meeting, the minister insisted that no shutdown would take place.
"As we have indicated before, there is nobody who’s going to do a shutdown of this country, and we must be very clear about that," she said.
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Ntshavheni also warned citizens against taking matters into their own hands, as some countries have already labelled South Africans as xenophobic amid the attacks on foreign nationals in the country.
"South Africans have the right to protest, and they can march as provided by the Constitution, but they have no right to take the law into their own hands," she noted.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has also dismissed social media claims that soldiers will be deployed ahead of the shutdown.
President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the nation
The minister also noted that President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation regarding the migration crisis. While no date was provided for when Ramaphosa would brief the nation, Ntshavheni said it would focus on the government’s new plan to address the migration crisis.
The cabinet recently received and approved a comprehensive approach to migration, which was developed by an inter-ministerial committee.
South Africans criticise minister
Social media users disputed Ntshavheni’s claims, insisting that the government didn’t have a say in the matter.
Sfiso Mshengu said:
“It's not a state-sponsored shutdown, for that matter, it's the citizens’ call.”
Sechaba Senkie Mohapi added:
“The people shall govern according to the Freedom Charter.”
Zukisa Zubra Yapi stated:
She must watch this space.”
Des Theron noted:
“They were voted into power to execute a mandate on behalf of the people of SA. Now they want to come and tell South Africans what to do because they refuse to listen.”
Milly Mosupyoe exclaimed:
“It's not for her to decide.”
Straight Talk South Africa stated:
“We left her WhatsApp group. We are self-governing.”
Cyril Ramaphosa insists South Africans aren't xenophobic
Briefly News reported that Cyril Ramaphosa weighed in on the recent tensions in South Africa between locals and foreign nationals.
The president insisted that South Africans were not xenophobic and wanted to live peacefully with other African migrants.
Ramaphosa made the statement after a meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto, who was on a three-day visit to South Africa.
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Source: Briefly News
