The recent arrest of Chinese nationals running an illegal sweatshop in Newcastle where workers were reportedly paid just R50 per week, highlights serious labour abuses and weak immigration enforcement. The Azania Movement says this proves the urgent need for stronger worker protections and fair application of the law.
The Movement has long argued that immigration policy must be shaped by ordinary South Africans, not politicians in closed rooms. That’s why they previously urged groups like Operation Dudula to help create a genuine People’s Policy on Immigration and Economic Participation to present in Parliament.
They rejected the Draft Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection (released December 2025 by Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber), calling it top-down and lacking real public consultation. They also questioned how someone not originally from South Africa can lead decisions that so deeply affect citizens.
The Movement insists enforcement must be fair and colour-blind: laws should apply equally to all nationalities, not just target black African foreigners. Operation Dudula must avoid bias too.
They point out a harsh reality 
large parts of retail, malls, hotels and key sectors are owned or controlled by foreign nationals, while many black South Africans remain economically sidelined. South Africans must come first in their own country, but this has to happen lawfully, fairly, and with communities at the centre.
The Azania Movement is calling for a proper national dialogue to protect workers, stop exploitation, and rebuild black South African ownership of the economy.