Gun smuggling, migration and the 2 November vote: civic groups sit down with the state

The Technical Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration met civic formations on Sunday, with the local government elections of 2 to 4 November 2026 at the top of the agenda and law enforcement gaps around irregular migration on the table beside it.

The committee said the meeting was attended by representatives of Hlangana Mzansi, Bhinca Nation, led by Ngizwe Mchunu, and Gauteng IziNduna, which the statement describes as representing communities originating from KwaZulu-Natal.

National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and Home Affairs Director-General Livhuwani Tommy Makhode told the meeting that everyone must be afforded their constitutional right to vote and that no one should prevent people from exercising it. Mchunu said everyone must be allowed to vote and that no one has the right to block or deny them that right.

The committee said the two sides reflected on the importance of the elections and committed that South Africans should be given the opportunity to vote.

The discussions covered concerns about gaps in law enforcement, the impact of the Constitutional Court judgment on communities, irregular migration, gun smuggling and what the statement calls the broader challenges of crime and violence in the country.

The committee said it welcomed the dialogue and acknowledged the concerns the delegation raised. It said the government’s Five-Point Plan is being actively implemented to strengthen law enforcement, enhance border security, combat organised crime and restore public confidence in the rule of law.

The commitments recorded in the statement are that the committee will give focused attention to the issues raised and strengthen coordination among law enforcement and security agencies, that government reaffirmed the Five-Point Plan on crime, illegal firearms, irregular migration and related security challenges, and that the two sides will set up ongoing engagements and cooperation.

They also agreed to work together against what the statement calls criminal elements seeking to exploit or hijack legitimate community protests for unlawful and violent purposes, and to promote respect for the rule of law, social cohesion and peaceful civic participation.

The committee said it welcomed the formations’ call for all South Africans to take part in the elections and reject violence, intimidation and actions that undermine democratic processes.

The statement does not say what specific enforcement gaps the formations raised, what they asked the state to do about them, or what the Constitutional Court judgment referred to is. It records the concerns and the government’s response to them, not the detail of either.

This report is drawn from the SAnews summary of the meeting published on 2 November 2026, not from the committee’s full record of the engagement. The source is the South African Government News Agency: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/imc-engages-civic-formations-law-enforcement-and-local-government-elections