Organised Labour has rejected growing anti-migrant sentiment across the country and warned that migrants should not be made to be scapegoats for failures they did not create.

During a media briefing this week, held at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC), COSATU, FEDUSA, SAFTU and NACTU spoke as one, cautioning that removing foreign nationals from workplaces, communities or public spaces will not help South Africa in any way.

“We recognise the deep frustration of millions of South Africans facing unemployment, poverty, inequality, crime and deteriorating public services. These are real and legitimate grievances. However, South Africa’s economic crisis was not created by migrants. It is rooted in economic stagnation, deindustrialisation, mass unemployment, corruption, austerity, weak governance and the failure to build an economy that serves the majority.”

The federations say South Africans’ energy and frustrations must be aimed at the government alone, with demands that they fix the economy, create decent work and rebuild the state.

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They further expressed concern that the current surge in anti-migrant sentiment and mobilisation appears increasingly coordinated and politically orchestrated.

“Its purpose seems not only to divide the working class and redirect legitimate anger away from the real causes of poverty, unemployment, inequality and collapsing public services, but also to portray South Africa as a nation consumed by xenophobia and prone to barbaric acts of black-on-black violence in order to portray us in the most negative light in eyes of the international community.”

The bodies warn that dangerous rhetoric is sowing seeds of tribalism, chauvinism and conflict among African people, and threatening the unity that workers need to confront exploitation and fight collectively for jobs, decent living conditions and social justice.

“The working class must reject all attempts to divide it along national, ethnic or tribal lines and reaffirm the principle that an injury to one is an injury to all.”

They further state that they are “unequivocally opposed to vigilantism.”

“The enforcement of immigration, labour and criminal laws is the responsibility of the democratic state and its authorised institutions alone. No individual, organisation or self-appointed structure has the right to stop people in the streets, demand identity documents, raid workplaces, close businesses or prevent people from accessing public services.”

The unions say citizens have every right to march, but it cannot become a “licence for intimidation, unlawful detention, forced removals, ethnic profiling or violence.”

“South Africans have seen where this road leads, having lived through the deadly violence of 2008 and subsequent attacks on foreign nationals. We will not allow legitimate public anger to be manipulated into hatred and lawlessness. History has shown the devastating consequences of redirecting socioeconomic grievances against people based on their nationality or origin.”

At the same time, they have confirmed they are firmly opposed to the unlawful employment of undocumented migrants, with calls to investigate and prosecute all employers who exploit vulnerable workers.

The organisations have called on the government to enforce stronger labour inspection, effective border management, and ensure adequate staffing and technology systems to eradicate corruption in the system.

“Organised Labour also condemns all persons who solicit or accept bribes, facilitate illegal entry, issue fraudulent documentation or protect employers who violate the law. Such conduct fuels the crisis, undermines public trust and betrays the many honest public servants who continue to perform their duties under difficult conditions.”

They have also warned workers who stay away from work on 30 June that the proposed mass action is not supported by recognised labour federations and therefore does not constitute a protected strike.

“We urge workers to report for duty and not place their employment at risk. Government must communicate this clearly and act decisively against intimidation, unlawful shutdowns, attacks on workers, violence and threats to critical infrastructure.”

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it is fully prepared to welcome eligible voters to registration stations across the country this weekend, as preparations intensify for the 2026 local government elections.

South Africans are encouraged to visit their nearest voting station on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June to register, verify their details, or update their address information to ensure they are correctly placed on the voters’ roll.

The IEC says more than 23,700 voting stations will be open nationwide between 8 AM and 5 PM over the two-day registration drive.

The voters’ roll currently stands at approximately 28 million registered voters, up from 27.7 million during the 2024 general elections. The Commission says online registrations continue to play an important role in growing the voters’ roll.

A major focus of the registration weekend is ensuring voters are registered in the correct wards and voting districts, particularly following municipal boundary changes that have resulted in some voters being reassigned.

The IEC has deployed more than 48,000 trained registration staff and made available nearly 40,000 Voter Management Devices (VMDs) to process registrations and updates.

The Commission has also conducted extensive testing and external reviews of its voter registration systems and says all identified issues have been addressed ahead of the weekend.

Youth participation remains a key priority. The IEC says more than 70% of eligible 18- and 19-year-olds are still not registered to vote. Through its Tertiary Institutions Campaign, over 158,000 students have been added to the voters’ roll since March this year.

IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo urged South Africans to take advantage of the registration opportunity, saying active voter participation is essential to strengthening the country’s democracy.

The Department of Home Affairs will also operate during the registration weekend to assist eligible citizens requiring identity document services.

What You Need to Know

Registration Weekend

• Dates: 20 and 21 June 2026
• Times: 08:00 to 17:00 daily
• Voting stations open: 23,706 nationwide

Documents Needed

Bring one of the following:

• Smart ID card
• Green barcoded ID book
• Valid Temporary Identity Certificate

Why Updating Your Details Matters

• Local government election voters can only vote in the voting district where they are registered.
• There is no provision to vote outside your registered voting district during municipal elections.
• Updating your address ensures you are placed in the correct ward.
  Youth Registration
• More than 70% of eligible 18- and 19-year-olds are still not registered.
• The IEC is urging first-time voters to register this weekend.

Online Services

Voters can:

• Register online
• Check registration details
• Locate their voting station

The IEC says the registration weekend is a crucial step in ensuring free, fair and credible local government elections and has called on all eligible South Africans to “get up and show up” this weekend.

Premier Alan Winde says significant recovery and reconstruction work still lies ahead following the recent severe weather disasters that affected large parts of the province.

Winde and members of his Cabinet provided an update yesterday on the Western Cape Government’s ongoing response to the storms and the assessment of the damage.

Winde says that while the immediate disaster response is now over, they have turned their attention to the recovery efforts.

He says 70% of the roads that were closed have since been reopened in some form, but extensive damage to road infrastructure remains a major challenge.

Western Cape MEC of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, says many roads, bridges and related structures have sustained significant damage and will require major repairs or, in some cases, complete reconstruction.

To support longer-term recovery efforts, the Western Cape Government has identified 19 emergency provincial road repair projects at critical locations across the province. Contractors have already been mobilised, and work has commenced on a number of these priority projects.

Recovery work will be prioritised and implemented in a phased manner, subject to funding availability.

Finance MEC Deidré Baartman says that to assist, the Western Cape Government has made provisions for disasters in its 2026 Budget by allocating funding to its Unforeseen and Unavoidable Reserve.

Provincial Treasury will now table a submission before the provincial Cabinet to reserve R100 million from this reserve for the current financial year to address some of the most urgent infrastructure repairs.

She says all departments have been allowed to reprioritise within their existing budgets and to use disaster procurement mechanisms to expedite procurement in response to the disaster and related maintenance needs.

“We will continue to engage national government to reform the disaster funding process, as the current system is lengthy and largely retrospective. In addition, we will advocate for the consideration of self-insurance within affected sectors, such as agriculture, alongside appropriate insurance-linked products for residents. While government can respond to public infrastructure losses, the impact on the private sector is equally significant.”

The cost of the damage caused by the storms currently stands at over R9 billion.

Winde emphasised that due to the scale of the damage, recovery will take time.

“Our approach is to prioritise the most critical routes and infrastructure while ensuring that all work is properly planned and executed to build greater resilience against future disasters.”

The Premier also highlighted ongoing efforts to restore electricity supply. In daily briefings with Eskom Western Cape management, the Premier and members of the provincial Cabinet have been informed that 97% of residents left without electricity due to the adverse weather have now been reconnected, with restoration efforts being intensified across affected regions.