Herman Mashaba says extremists within ActionSA have lost their bid to get the party to take a hard line on immigration policy.
In his opening remarks at ActionSA's first policy conference, party president Herman Mashaba said the party would take the middle ground when it came to its stance on immigration laws.
ActionSA's three-day policy conference kicked off on Tuesday, 12 September, at Birchwood Hotel, Boksburg, and will close on Thursday.
"I want to assure South Africans that ActionSA will present a strong proposal that occupies the rational, middle ground on this important issue. ActionSA reaffirms our belief that South Africa was built on the back of migrants. We want the people of the world to come to South Africa, but they must do so legally and obey our laws once here. ActionSA will not place the blame at the door of foreigners," he said.
Mashaba explained that there was a strong push by party "extremists" who wanted stricter immigration laws versus those who were completely opposed to this suggestion.
"On the one side, there are those who want to ignore our borders or call anyone xenophobic for raising the issue of the failed implementation of our immigration regulations and our porous borders. On the other side, there are those who are wilfully blind to the benefits that regulated immigration can offer...
