Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma cites mother’s secret Nigerian marriage as reason for anti-immigrant stance

Radio personality Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma has defended her anti-immigration activism, linking it to her mother's past marriage to a Nigerian man she barely knew. She said the revelation occurred when her mother visited South Africa's Department of Home Affairs at a time when Ngobese-Zuma was 14 years old. The incident left the family struggling with identity issues due to the use of a surname tied to a man they had never met.

Ngobese-Zuma claimed officials advised her mother to divorce the Nigerian man to resolve a legal matter, a move that would have forced her to surrender half her assets to someone unknown. She described the man as having come from Nigeria to steal her mother's identity and falsely claim marriage. She blamed such cases for driving her hardline position against undocumented immigration.

The founder of the March and March Movement accused foreign men of exploiting South African women through fake or purchased marriages to gain residency. She said these tactics have replaced earlier failed methods of illegal entry. On Wednesday, she led a protest to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, demanding action against criminal networks tied to undocumented migrants.

At the rally, Ngobese-Zuma said, "Today is a reiteration of the fact that we are tired of illegal immigrants taking over our spaces, overstretching our resources, and rendering us, in our own country, useless." She added, "We want to make sure that we reiterate to our government and illegal immigrants that the time to play is over. We want our country back, and we are not negotiating on that." The movement advocates stronger border control, citizen prioritisation in jobs and services, and accountability in immigration enforcement.

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