Outrage over undocumented enrolled children

The inclusion of undocumented children in local schools has sparked fresh backlash with some warning of its impact on a strained education system.

- Thando Nondywana

According to a response to a parliamentary committee question, in 2020 there were over 177 677 foreign nationals who could not be tracked in the system, excluding figures of the Eastern Cape.

Herman Mashaba, leader of ActionSA, criticised the government's decision, calling it a threat to sovereignty and legitimisation of illegality.

"Those who decided to allow undocumented foreign nationals to register in schools were not thinking clearly," said Mashaba.

"A country without borders cannot have sovereignty. Without borders, there is no country." He argued that the decision sent a message to failed states to offload their responsibilities onto South Africa.