Phakel'umthakathi Laughs Off President Ramaphosa's Illegal Immigration Speech at ANC Manifesto
- Anti-illegal immigration activist Nkosikhona 'Phakelumthakathi' Ndabandaba reacted with laughing emojis after President Ramaphosa addressed immigration enforcement
- Ramaphosa made the promise during the ANC manifesto launch in Riverside, Diepsloot, vowing to deploy 10,000 more labour inspectors
- Phakel'umthakathi has been at the forefront of protests demanding that South Africans be prioritised for employment across various industries
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SOUTH AFRICA - Anti-illegal immigration activist Nkosikhona Ndabandaba, known online as "Phakulumthakathi" was not impressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa's words on Sunday. He responded to the president's immigration speech with laughing emojis and a South African flag posted to his X account.
Ramaphosa promises togher immigration stance
Ramaphosa had been speaking at the ANC manifesto launch in Riverside, Diepsloot, on 23 August 2026. He told the crowd that the party would move to enforce immigration, labour, and municipal laws firmly and consistently. He also announced that the Department of Employment and Labour had been given approval to take on 10,000 additional labour inspectors.
Their mandate would be to visit workplaces across the country and verify that all workers are properly permitted to be in South Africa. The president added that municipalities would be expected to work closely with the labour department on immigration enforcement.
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Phakelumthakathi's response to Ramaphosa's speech
Phakelumthakathi reposted the video of Ramaphosa's remarks without comment beyond his laughing emojis and the flag. The gesture signalled scepticism rather than support, which was consistent with his broader position on government action around undocumented immigrants in the workplace.
The activist has built a significant following by speaking out against the employment of undocumented immigrants and pushing for South Africans to be the first choice for jobs in the country.
A voice at the forefront of labour protests
Phakelumthakathi aligned himself with the March and March movement and was a leading figure during the national protests held on 30 June 2026. Since then, he has continued to front demonstrations in various parts of the country. His most recent action was in Mooiriver, where he led a protest calling for South Africans to be employed in the freight and truck driving industry ahead of foreign nationals.
Ramaphosa meets with Phakelumthakathi and Ngizwe
Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa met with anti-illegal immigration campaign leaders Phakel'umthakathi and Ngizwe Mchunu ahead of the nationwide marches planned for 30 June. Videos and photos claiming to show the meeting started circulating on social media on Tuesday, 30 June. The Presidency has confirmed that the meeting took place on 29 June 2026. According to the Presidency, the meeting with Phakel'umthakathi and Ngizwe Mchunu was to brief him on the planned protests and assure him that the marches would be peaceful.
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Source: Briefly News
