ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has ignited fresh controversy by calling for the deportation of Zimbabwean-born political commentator Rutendo Matinyarare, following Matinyarare’s sharp criticism of KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Matinyarare publicly accused Mkhwanazi of hypocrisy, claiming the commissioner had failed to root out criminal elements within the South African Police Service during his two-decade career. But Mashaba wasn’t having it. Branding Matinyarare “toxic,” the ActionSA leader declared that if his party rises to power, Matinyarare would be “one of the first to be removed from the country and permanently barred from returning.”
While Matinyarare’s legal residency status remains murky, his outspoken criticism has triggered debate over the rights of foreign nationals to weigh in on sensitive national issues—especially ones involving high-level security and corruption claims.
Mashaba’s stance is consistent with ActionSA’s tough-on-immigration platform, which champions stricter border control and the deportation of foreign nationals deemed disruptive or hostile to South Africa’s democratic institutions. “We cannot allow individuals who undermine public confidence in our law enforcement and government to make a home here,” he said.
However, critics argue that deportation cannot be weaponized against dissenters, especially without evidence of unlawful activity. They warn that Mashaba’s rhetoric risks inflaming xenophobia and eroding free speech.
As the clash between national security, free expression, and immigration policy heats up, the question remains: is this about protecting institutions—or silencing inconvenient voices?
