- The migration debate should focus on governance, leadership and opportunity across Africa.
- Strong institutions and effective state capacity are essential for managing citizenship, migration and development.
- Young Africans have a responsibility to help build the continent’s future through innovation, integrity and leadership.
In the current hype surrounding “Mabahambe” in South Africa, we risk losing an important opportunity for serious intellectual and analytical engagement. What is most concerning is that even some of the African voices we typically respect seem hesitant to interrogate the deeper structural issues confronting our societies.
Today, I choose not to engage the question of the Berlin borders. Whatever their historical origins and consequences, African states have collectively chosen to recognise them and to organise their political lives around them. We did not dismantle them, right?
The challenge before us is therefore not merely the legitimacy of those borders, but what we have done with the political communities and institutions that have emerged within them. Decades after independence, we continue to struggle to build inclusive, accountable and developmental states.
Looking beyond migration
The conversation should not simply focus on who must leave South Africa, but rather on why so many people feel compelled to leave their home countries in the first place. Across Africa, including South Africa, migration is often driven by persistent challenges such as unemployment, insecurity, poor governance, weak institutions, corruption and limited opportunities for young people.
Until African countries meaningfully address these underlying conditions, citizens, especially the youth, will continue to seek livelihoods and futures elsewhere. The issue, therefore, is not migration itself, but the quality of leadership and governance that produces these outcomes.
Too often, societies tolerate leaders who fail to serve the public interest. When accountability weakens, poor leadership becomes normalised, institutions deteriorate, and democratic freedoms grow increasingly fragile. History reminds us that societies do not collapse overnight. Decline begins when leaders become disconnected from the needs of their people and institutions fail to hold them accountable.
It is therefore essential that African citizens reclaim their role as active participants in democracy. Leaders are most responsive when citizens organise, engage critically and demand accountability. The future of the continent depends not only on who governs, but on whether citizens insist on ethical, competent and development-oriented leadership.
Perhaps the debate we should be having is not “who must go,” but rather, “what kind of Africa are we building, and what kind of leadership are we prepared to demand?”
The challenge of state capacity
At the same time, we must recognise that there are broader governance and state-capacity issues in this conundrum. A government that cannot account for every person within its borders faces a fundamental challenge of state capacity. Effective governance begins with knowing who resides in the country, who its citizens are, and who has legal status to live, work or seek refuge within its territory.
The question we should be asking is: How did we arrive at a point where there are individuals whose identities, status or movements cannot be adequately accounted for? What does this reveal about the strength of our institutions, the effectiveness of our administrative systems, and the quality of political leadership over time?
This is not a new concern. As far back as the early 2000s, concerns were raised internationally regarding weaknesses in South Africa’s identity and documentation systems. Reports of fraudulently obtained South African travel documents and identity records raised questions about border management, immigration control and the integrity of population registration systems.
The deeper issue is not merely one of migration. It is one of governance. A capable state requires reliable population data, secure identity management systems, effective border administration and institutions that are adequately resourced and protected from corruption.
Building capable states
At the same time, we must recognise that migration pressures do not emerge in a vacuum. Across the African continent, conflict, economic hardship, political instability, unemployment and weak governance continue to push people to seek opportunities elsewhere. Unless African governments collectively address these root causes, migration will remain a feature of our reality.
The challenge before us is therefore twofold: building capable states that can effectively manage citizenship, migration and documentation systems, while simultaneously creating the political and economic conditions that enable people to thrive in their countries of origin.
Ultimately, it is not simply who enters a country or how they arrived. The challenge is whether our institutions are strong enough to govern fairly, effectively and accountably in the interests of all who live within our borders.
We should not blame one another as Africans, but address the conditions that force people to leave their homes and communities. Africa’s future depends on our ability to build inclusive economies, strengthen institutions, improve education systems and harness innovation to create sustainable livelihoods.
The role of Africa’s youth
This is why today’s youth carry a profound responsibility. We need individuals who will apply their knowledge, skills, creativity and talents to tackle the continent’s most pressing challenges. We need entrepreneurs who create jobs, researchers who generate solutions, professionals who serve with integrity and citizens who put Africa’s collective interests above narrow self-interest.
Above all, we need leaders to emerge from this current generation, leaders with vision, courage and a deep commitment to justice and development. Leaders who can provide direction, inspire hope and help build an Africa where young people no longer feel compelled to leave in search of dignity and opportunity, but can find both at home.
The task of transforming Africa belongs to all of us, but it begins with an educated generation willing to place its learning in the service of humanity. Young Africans must be the custodians of Africa’s future and architects of the continent we aspire to become.
Get your news on the go. Click here to follow the Conviction WhatsApp channel.
