Mmusi Maimane has condemned anti-migrant violence in South Africa and called for a regulated immigration system that protects human dignity while strengthening border management. Speaking during an Africa Day event at Constitution Hill on Monday, 25 May, the leader of Build One South Africa (BOSA) warned that xenophobia was rooted in “fear, tribalism and division”.

The South Africa government has attributed the growing influx of undocumented migrants to governance challenges in parts of the continent, as the country grapples with a renewed wave of anti-migrant protests. The demonstrations, which began in late April 2026 and have continued into May, have spread across major urban centres including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town, as well as townships such as Thembisa and Braamfontein.