South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned against vigilante action targeting foreign nationals, insisting that the enforcement of immigration laws remains the sole responsibility of the state.
Addressing the nation on Sunday, June 7, Ramaphosa said no individual or group has the authority to confront people in public spaces and demand proof of identity, amid rising tensions over illegal immigration in the country.
His address comes in the wake of recent xenophobic incidents and anti-foreigner campaigns by some groups in South Africa, which have heightened concerns about social cohesion and public safety.
“The responsibility for enforcing immigration laws rests with the state, and the state alone,” he said.
Ramaphosa stressed that while South Africans have legitimate concerns about illegal immigration, those concerns must not be exploited to justify lawlessness, violence, or attacks on foreign nationals.
“I must make it clear that only authorized government officials may act against violations of the law, including violations of our immigration laws,” he stated.
He further cautioned against misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric on social media, warning that some groups were using immigration issues to pursue political, personal, and criminal agendas.
“We will, and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilize our country through inciting lawlessness and violence. We will act against forces who are exploiting the concerns of our people about illegal immigration to further their own political, personal, and criminal agendas” he added.
Meanwhile Ghana has evacuated 1,500 Ghanaian nationals who voluntarily opted to be repatriated from South Africa following recent waves of xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant protests against foreign nationals.
