Why are you allowing children of undocumented foreigners in our public schools?

Estimated reading time: 11 minute(s)

Just as 2024 matric learners eagerly await their results, the critics could not contain themselves with some rather valid points about strained public resources that are poorly managed and abused in most cases.

This is as former Johannesburg Mayor and ActionSA President Herman Mashaba says it is wrong for a country like ours, South Africa, with a shrinking tax payers, to have to pay for education to children of illegal immigrants with no documentation.

“The combined outcome of this is a country with a shrinking tax base and ever limited public resources, including badly maintained public infrastructure, having to carry an added burden of millions, literally, of undocumented foreigners who have fled their poorly governed country to come and seek economic and other opportunities in South Africa.”

“It is known that our public health institutions already carry the added burden of undocumented people who routinely cross into South Africa to give birth and to seek other medical serves, services that much abused South Africans are expected to pay for. This situation is unsustainable. Something must give.

“He also said that it is clear for everyone to see that the influx of undocumented foreign nationals seems to be a lot for government handle and no one can deny that the deteriorating situation poses grave danger to our national security, as it totally undermines South Africa’s sovereignty.“A country without properly managed border crossings and immigration points can no longer qualify as a sovereign state.”

“The decision by government to allow the children of undocumented foreigners to register in our publicly funded schools, all at the expense of South Africa taxpayers, is unacceptable. It cannot possibly pass a constitutional test, given the points raised above about the state of our economy and the plight of many of our communities.”

“What it all means is that the countless children of undocumented foreigners allowed to be enrolled in our schools will, inevitably, end-up in already over-crowded schools often found in the country’s poor rural, peri-urban, and urban communities, too many of which still use unsanitary, dangerous pit latrines.”

Mashaba said that the sad part about this situation is that people leaving in poor communities, whether rural or townships are the ones who will be forced to share limited resources provided for, by tax payers in public schools and not private schools.

Same as the heavily strained public health which provides services to people who illegally cross borders to give birth, take medication and leave the country without having to paying for anything. He said if the matter is not corrected now, soon the children of undocumented foreigners will automatically qualify for SASSA grants and their parents for RDP Houses, if this is not already happening while 54% of South African households currently live below the breadline.

“We must remind government that the raft of corrective policies and institutions that were created after the end of apartheid were brought into existence with the aim to level playing fields for South Africans and to heal the gaping wounds of apartheid, not to solve the problems of other countries.”

“Today, it is hard to find any argument to justify this move by the government other than to give credence to the notion that South Africa is a “free-for-all” country.”“Ultimately it is clear that our current political system places too much power into the hands of politicians who, once elected to office, can make any decision without any regard of its impact on South Africans.”

“They take decisions without having to obtain the views of South Africans through instruments such as referenda. It is an unhealthy power imbalance that calls for serious institutional review and reform, especially in so far as what those elected to office can or cannot do without clear, informed, consent by the people.”

“Continuing to do things the same way over and over again while expecting different outcomes is a sure sign of suicidal foolishness. This has to stop” said Mashaba.