Well-known broadcaster Gareth Cliff has joined the ongoing discussion about the protests against illegal immigrants in South Africa.
The movement has gained traction recently, with figures like Ngizwe Mchunu and Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma spearheading anti-illegal immigration marches in Durban and Johannesburg. These events have sparked a divisive debate, with various celebrities either supporting the actions or criticizing them vehemently.
Gareth Cliff has contributed to this dialogue by sharing his insights on the protests.
Gareth Cliff analyzes motivations behind anti-illegal immigration protests
In a 12-minute commentary uploaded on the Truth Report YouTube channel on Monday, 4 May 2026, Cliff examined the root causes of the growing tensions.
He noted that the rising unemployment rate among South Africans is leading to increased frustration, often causing individuals to seek a target for their grievances.
“So, there are a great many South African citizens who cannot find jobs, and this is putting pressure on those people to find a scapegoat for their own inability to find employment. If people are poor and they’re desperate, they look for someone to blame. This has happened throughout history. It’s happening in South Africa right now,” Cliff explained.
Cliff highlighted the challenges faced in townships, where residents perceive a threat to their economic opportunities. He pointed out that many foreign nationals are visible in small enterprises and significant trading zones, intensifying the dissatisfaction among those who are already struggling.
“So, you have people who live in townships in South Africa who are getting increasingly frustrated that they see the shops, the major economic areas of interaction and engagement, being largely taken over by foreigners who are probably a little more desperate, probably a little more educated, probably a little more in survival mode than the people who are living there at the moment. And this is driving enormous amounts of envy, bitterness, resentment, you know, the kinds of stuff you find in any communist place in the world. But it’s happening in South Africa where there are differences in language, differences in culture, differences in education,” Cliff added.
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Cliff characterized the current climate as increasingly unstable, indicating that South Africa might encounter significant fallout if the situation continues to be mishandled.
“So, it’s a ticking time bomb to use an overused metaphor, and I hope we can sort this out. Um, of course, my sympathies are with perfectly good people who are trying to pursue opportunities in South Africa, where, you know, if you work hard, there is a job for you. These guys fall outside of the law and the scope of things like minimum wage. They aren’t legally protected,” Cliff said.
He also mentioned that some South African citizens feel that foreign nationals are competing with them for jobs as well as access to healthcare, education, and other government services.
Watch the video below:
