South Africa’s High Court has handed down a significant ruling on how the country handles migration and citizenship checks. The Court has confirmed that only authorised immigration and police officials are allowed to demand identity documents from people inside the country, and it has barred any form of intimidation, harassment, or interference in access to healthcare, education, or housing for foreign nationals. The ruling comes at a time when tensions around migration have been rising in parts of South Africa, driven by economic pressures and misinformation.
The African Diaspora Forum, which advocates for the rights and responsibilities of migrants, has welcomed the judgment and is now calling for a national Migrant Indaba to bring government, civil society, and migrant communities together to find practical, lawful, and humane ways of managing migration and building social cohesion. To talk us through why this matters and what they hope such a dialogue can deliver, we’re joined by Bongani Mkwananzi, the Forum’s Information and Publicity Secretary.​