The national government has roped in traditional leaders to assist in tackling the illegal immigration crisis threatening public safety and national security.

The multifaceted plan will also see amakhosi and izinduna spearheading the revitalisation of local economies and the creation of new jobs. The move was cemented in Durban when justice and constitutional development minister Mammoloko Kubayi and AmaZulu Royal Chancellor Inkosi Malusi Zondi met in Durban.

“The discussions with the minister and her delegation were centred around the role that traditional leaders such as amakhosi and izinduna can play in various issues affecting our communities. These include the illegal immigration crisis, building safer communities, social cohesion, hijacked buildings fuelling criminality and driving economic growth through the Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). We also agreed to convene a special investment conference soon jointly with the department of labour and that of home affairs,” Zondi stated.

Zondi described the meeting as progressive, saying traditional leaders were a vital cog of governance, sadly often neglected.

“Amakhosi as the custodians of land and the backbone of their communities should not be left behind and treated as spectators in the national conversation. With the country facing the immigration crisis driving social tension and public frustration, all hands must be on deck to prevent a possible catastrophe,” he explained.

According to Zondi who is also the head of economy and cultural envoy responsible for stimulating investment under the Zulu monarch, the plan also involves awakening the economies of rural towns.

“The hostilities between locals and foreign nationals is often driven by the influx of people to bigger cities such as in our case Durban, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg and Richards Bay. As such, we have decided to embark on an accelerated programme to unlock the untapped potential of regional economies led by the traditional leaders and supported by the business sector. The now dormant small rural towns were the backbone of local economies. They provided rural households with employment and income opportunities. These towns must be brought back to life,” said Zondi.

The unemployment rate sitting above 30% has led to stiff competition over limited economic resources, creating confrontation between locals and foreign nationals. The job crisis has also led to a massive scale of people leaving small towns and hoping for a better life in bigger cities and constraining resources.

The eThekwini metro in KwaZulu-Natal carries the heaviest burden.

It also gave rise to anti-illegal immigration groupings calling for undocumented foreign nationals to be sent back to their countries of origin. Radical civic movements have also intensified their campaigns imposing deadlines and creating anxiety to foreign nationals.

Fearing for their lives and safety, scores of foreign nationals have left the country.