Ramaphosa Condemns Vigilante Actions Against Foreign Nationals

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has defended his government’s efforts to tackle irregular immigration while strongly condemning a recent surge in xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants. In a national address on Sunday, Ramaphosa acknowledged growing public frustration over unemployment, poverty and limited economic opportunities but warned against blaming foreign nationals for South Africa’s broader challenges. “South Africa faces persistently high levels of unemployment (…).

Too many families are struggling to make ends meet. Too many communities are suffering from poverty (…). In these circumstances, frustration can easily be directed towards those perceived as competitors for jobs and resources,” Ramaphosa said.

He described illegal immigration as a significant challenge facing the country but rejected claims that it was the root cause of South Africa’s economic difficulties. “Illegal immigration is not the cause of all our economic problems,” he said, although he considered it to be a “significant problem” because “it poses a risk to the security and stability of South Africa” and “an additional burden on essential services such as health and education.” His remarks come amid growing tensions in parts of South Africa where anti-immigration groups have staged demonstrations and in some cases been accused of targeting foreign nationals through intimidation and violence. Ramaphosa maintained that South Africa had the sovereign right to regulate immigration and enforce its laws but said such responsibilities rested solely with state authorities “South Africa has the right to implement policies and measures aimed at preventing irregular migration,” he said.

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However, he warned citizens against taking the law into their own hands. “Only authorized public officials can act against violations of the law. No one else is authorized for example to approach someone on the street to demand proof of identity (…) We will not and must not allow certain groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilize our country,” he said.

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