JOHANNESBURG - National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique leader Venâncio Mondlane says African leaders are responsible for South Africa’s immigration crisis.
"The problem here is not the immigrants; that is simply scapegoating," says Mondlane.
"The problem is broken countries," he adds.
One day remains before the unofficial 30 June deadline, with anti-immigration groups having given undocumented migrants until the date to leave South Africa.
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Ghana and Nigeria have repatriated some of their citizens over the past few weeks. However, on the eve of the deadline, Malawian nationals are still struggling to leave the country.
Law enforcement say they are prepared for all eventualities amid concerns that protests could spiral out of control.
Mondlane says the anger is misguided, arguing that South Africa has become a “funnel” for struggling African states.
"South Africa is under pressure, and the funnel is almost broken," he says.
He says the focus should instead be on fixing governance and economic conditions in African countries, adding that migration pressures stem from failing states.
Mondlane has called for greater cooperation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to address migration challenges.
"We must fix our broken countries," he says, adding that African states must also pursue economic integration and agree on conditions for regional cooperation.