By our reporter 23.7.2026
Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe said his country-of-origin South Africa cannot allow migrants to take the jobs meant for South African citizens.
Dr. Motsepe who was commenting on spates of xenophobic attacks and crackdown on migrants by the South African government said there was a need to address the root causes of migration from other African countries to South Africa.
“(The) concern about our people not getting jobs is a legitimate concern,” Motsepe said during a press conference in Johannesburg.
“And of course there’s also an equally legitimate concern when some of our businesses don’t employ South Africans but employ people from outside the continent because they are prepared to accept low wages. It’s wrong.”
He called on South Africa to seek the cooperation of African countries to tackle the problem migration.
“But we will, you know, we have to do the right thing and educate our people and say to them that illegality will not be tolerated
“We will not tolerate; we cannot support illegality. We cannot support illegal migration.
“Some of the leaders are correct when they raise issues to say that, you know, we should try and create jobs in those countries then.”
Over 50,000 documented and undocumented African migrants were repatriated by their home country governments as protest over migrants taking over South Africa jobs raged in South Africa. A majority of the migrants are from neighboring countries like Malawa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Scores of migrants from Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Congo DR and Mozambique have been killed in violent attacks by protesters, so far, the South Africa government has not brought anyone for prosecutions over the murders.