- President Cyril Ramaphosa publicly addressed viral claims that the African National Congress planned to mobilise asylum seekers ahead of the elections
- The claims spread online after Home Affairs began implementing a Constitutional Court ruling on asylum seeker processing in early October 2026
- Ramaphosa also raised the prospect of social media regulation, pointing to action taken by the UK and Australia as possible reference points for South Africa
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG — President Cyril Ramaphosa has flatly dismissed online claims that the African National Congress intends to mobilise asylum seekers to vote for the party in the upcoming 4 November Local Government Elections, calling the allegation a fabrication with no basis in fact.
Speaking at the Black Wednesday National Press Freedom Day commemoration in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Monday, 19 October 2026, Ramaphosa addressed the rapidly spreading misinformation directly.
"There's just no way that the ANC will go and mobilise asylum seekers to vote for it. There's just no way. It's a rubbish story. It does not exist. We will never want to do something like that," he said.
Ramaphosa flags social media dangers
Ramaphosa also used the occasion to warn about the broader dangers of unverified information spreading on social media.
He noted that countries including the UK and Australia had moved to restrict social media access, including limiting exposure for young children. He noted that South Africa had not yet reached that point, with the Constitution's guarantees on freedom of expression serving as a key constraint.
Ramaphosa also cited the July 2021 unrest as a warning of what can happen when social media is used to incite violence, noting the loss of life and significant damage to the country's GDP that followed.
"When it gets to a point where lies are peddled, where false stories are peddled, then it becomes a problem because it could also border on being very dangerous," he said.
False voting claims followed court ruling
The controversy stems from a Constitutional Court ruling in July 2026 which found that certain provisions of the Refugees Act were unconstitutional. The provisions had prevented asylum seekers from having their claims properly assessed on procedural grounds.
When Home Affairs began implementing the ruling in early October through an operational directive instructing refugee reception offices to accept new applications, long queues formed outside offices.
The scenes were quickly distorted online into claims that asylum seekers were being granted citizenship, social grants, or the right to vote, and that they were being registered specifically to benefit the ANC in the local elections.
Ramaphosa defends Home Affairs' decision
Briefly News reported that Ramaphosa broke his silence on the Home Affairs asylum directive that triggered violent protests in Durban and Soweto.
The Department of Home Affairs suspended the directive after widespread unrest erupted across South Africa following its announcement.
Ramaphosa insisted the suspension was not contempt of court but a necessary step before proper implementation could be effected.
Source: Briefly News
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