There comes a point when people simply get tired.
Tired of hearing the same promises. Tired of watching the same problems grow bigger. Tired of believing that someone else will eventually fix them. History has shown us that many movements are born not because people wake up wanting to become activists, but because they reach a point where they can no longer stand by and watch.
Whether you agree with Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma or not, I believe that is where her story begins.
The First Time She Caught My Attention
The first time I noticed Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma was long before the March and March movement became a national talking point. It was during a dispute involving school admissions in Durban. A group of South African parents believed that their children had been unfairly overlooked while children of foreign nationals had been admitted. School admissions are governed by policies, regulations and available space, and every situation has its own circumstances. However, what stood out to me was not the policy debate. It was Jacinta’s determination to stand alongside those parents until their concerns were heard.
She refused to let the matter quietly disappear.
I remember watching a heated exchange where she challenged people she believed were in the country illegally. She openly stated that undocumented foreign nationals should be investigated and, if found to be in South Africa unlawfully, they should face the legal consequences. It was a bold statement that immediately divided public opinion.
Some people applauded her.
Others condemned her.
But almost everyone started paying attention.
The Conversation South Africa Has Been Avoiding
Since then, the national conversation around illegal immigration has grown louder than ever before.
It is no longer just something discussed on social media or in political circles. Ordinary South Africans are talking about it at work, at home, in taxis and around dinner tables. People are asking difficult questions about border security, healthcare, education, employment, housing and crime. Whether those concerns are always supported by evidence in every individual case is something that should be examined carefully, but the fact remains that many South Africans feel these issues have not received enough attention.
Ignoring those concerns does not make them disappear.
It simply pushes the frustration deeper.
What I Admire About Her
There have been countless attempts to discredit Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma.
She has faced criticism from political commentators, activists, organisations and members of the public. She has reportedly received threats, been labelled with every name imaginable and had her motives questioned repeatedly.
Yet every time I see her interviewed, she appears remarkably composed.
She does not seem interested in shouting over people.
She listens.
She answers.
She explains why she believes what she believes.
That is something I genuinely respect.
I do not necessarily think she appears confident because she believes she is smarter than everyone else. I think she appears confident because she has spent time researching the issues that concern her. When someone has done their homework and truly believes in their cause, they rarely need to invent answers on the spot. They simply explain what they already know.
There is a quiet confidence that comes from speaking honestly.
An Issue Bigger Than One Person
It is important to recognise that Jacinta did not create South Africa’s immigration challenges.
The country’s immigration system has been under pressure for many years. Border management, undocumented migration, visa backlogs and law enforcement have all been subjects of public debate long before the March and March movement existed.
Government itself has acknowledged many of these challenges over the years.
That is why I sometimes struggle to understand why it has become controversial simply to say that South Africa has an illegal immigration problem.
Every country has immigration laws.
Every country has border controls.
Every country expects people entering its borders to do so legally.
Why should South Africa be any different?
Having functioning borders does not mean rejecting legal immigrants or refugees who qualify for protection. It simply means that a country knows who is entering, who is leaving and who is living within its borders.
That should never be considered a radical position.
Why Her Message Resonates
One of the things that stood out to me most was Jacinta’s explanation of why she became involved in activism.
She has said that she was deeply affected by mothers who struggled to access healthcare, parents who could not secure places for their children in schools and communities dealing with crime and drug trafficking. She has explained that she lives comfortably herself and was not acting because she personally lacked resources. Instead, she felt compelled to act because she believed many ordinary South Africans were being overlooked.
Whether people agree with every conclusion she reaches is a separate discussion.
But it is difficult to dismiss someone who is able to clearly explain what motivated them in the first place.
A Country That Needs Honest Conversations
South Africa finds itself at a crossroads.
On one side are those who believe undocumented immigration has placed unsustainable pressure on public resources and that government has failed to enforce its own laws.
On the other side are those who caution against blaming entire communities for complex social and economic problems and who emphasise the importance of protecting the rights and dignity of every person.
These conversations are uncomfortable.
They should be.
The answers will never be simple.
However, refusing to have the conversation at all is perhaps the greatest mistake we could make.
My Final Thoughts
Whether history ultimately celebrates Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma or criticises her is something only time will decide.
What cannot be denied is that she has become one of the most recognisable figures in one of South Africa’s most difficult national debates. She has encouraged thousands of people to speak about issues they believe have been ignored for years, while also drawing criticism from those who see her movement differently.
That is the nature of leadership.
It is rarely comfortable.
It is almost never universally popular.
What I admire most is not that she has all the answers. It is that she has shown a willingness to stand in front of a nation, face intense criticism and continue advocating for what she believes, even when doing so comes at a personal cost.
Love her or disagree with her, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has become a significant voice in South Africa’s ongoing conversation about immigration, public resources and national priorities.
And that conversation is far from over.
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