South Africa’s Ramaphosa Says He Has Spoken With Nearly All Presidents Of Countries Affected By Xen0phobic Att∆cks
South Africa’s Ramaphosa Says He Has Spoken With Nearly All Presidents Of Countries Affected By Xenophobic Attacks
Ramaphosa made the remarks while responding to questions about undocumented immigration, ongoing repatriation efforts and growing international concerns over xenophobic violence in South Africa.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the resurgence of xenophobic attacks and vigilante actions targeting foreign African nationals, insisting that no individual has the authority to stop people on the streets to question their nationality or immigration status.
Ramaphosa made the remarks while responding to questions about undocumented immigration, ongoing repatriation efforts and growing international concerns over xenophobic violence in South Africa.
According to the South African leader, he had personally spoken with nearly all the presidents of countries whose citizens have been affected by the recent anti-foreigner attacks, adding that the discussions centred on protecting the rights of both foreign nationals and South Africans.
“I have taken time to speak with nearly all the Presidents of the countries affected by Xenophobia in South Africa. They are all concerned about the human rights of both their citizens and South Africans,” Ramaphosa said.
He added, “No one has the right to approach anyone and ask them where they come from or what they do.”
“Ihave taken time to speak with nearly all the Presidents of the countries affected by Xenophobia in South Africa. They’re all concerned about the human rights of both their citizens and South Africans. No one has the right to approach anyone and ask them where they come from or… pic.twitter.com/J2eeIWFFIh
Ramaphosa acknowledged shortcomings in South Africa’s migration management system but said his administration is taking steps to address the situation while maintaining respect for human rights.
“As I said in my address to the nation, we have admitted some of the weaknesses that have given rise to the challenge that we are facing now, but we are addressing those challenges and the government is giving leadership to this whole process,” he said.
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The president stressed that ongoing repatriation exercises are being conducted voluntarily and in collaboration with affected governments.
“We are managing together with other governments the process of repatriation, and these are all voluntary repatriation processes,” he stated.
According to him, several African leaders acknowledged that migration challenges are not unique to South Africa and urged his government to ensure that the rights of everyone involved are protected.
“They have all said the challenge of migration is not unique and new to South Africa. It has happened in other countries or locales, and what they would want to see is that the human rights of all concerned, both South Africans and foreign nationals, should be respected,” Ramaphosa said.
He maintained that immigration enforcement remains the exclusive responsibility of government agencies and warned against citizens taking the law into their own hands.
“Nobody should be targeted by anyone other than being processed by a government official. Nobody has the right to approach anyone and ask who they are, where they come from, and all that. That is the sole role of the government,” he said.
Ramaphosa disclosed that the government had established repatriation camps, particularly in Musina, to facilitate the voluntary departure of foreign nationals who wished to return to their home countries.
“We’ve set up repatriation camps in a number of places, but especially in Musina, and that is going very well,” he said.
He added that South Africa was working closely with foreign governments, non-governmental organisations and international refugee agencies monitoring the process.
“We’re cooperating not only with foreign governments but also with other non-governmental organizations who are monitoring this, and some of them are international refugee bodies. They are very pleased with the way in which we are handling this matter,” Ramaphosa stated.
The president also said his administration is responding to concerns raised by South Africans over illegal immigration by tightening border security and enforcing labour and immigration laws.
“We are sensitive to what our people have said, and we are addressing all those needs, for instance, border security, ensuring that we enforce our laws, ensuring that we enforce not only our laws but our labour laws, insisting that employers must make sure that they employ documented people and they should no longer employ undocumented people,” he said.
Ramaphosa expressed confidence that the government’s measures were beginning to yield results, saying South Africa was becoming increasingly successful in managing migration while safeguarding the rights of all those living in the country.
Citizens from Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been most impacted by the recent wave of xenophobic violence and anti-migrant protests in South Africa.
The unrest escalated after vigilante groups and anti-immigrant movements, such as March and March, imposed an unauthorized deadline for foreign nationals to leave the country.
Across these cities, protesters targeted both undocumented and legally registered migrants, looting foreign-owned businesses and burning residential shacks.
Tragically, the violence resulted in multiple fatalities, with Mozambique and Ethiopia confirming the deaths of their citizens, while others lost their livelihoods.
The scale of the displacement and intimidation sparked an urgent continental response. Several African governments stepped in to evacuate thousands of their endangered nationals.
Ghana spearheaded early repatriation efforts, while Nigeria and Kenya deployed multiple emergency flights from OR Tambo International Airport to bring hundreds of stranded, traumatized citizens back home.
Similarly, tens of thousands of Malawians and Zimbabweans fled their homes, seeking refuge in makeshift transit camps before eventually returning to their home countries.
