South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described South Africans who violently attack other Africans in the country as ‘opportunists’. He also described such actions as “criminal acts.”
“These are the acts of opportunists who are exploiting the legitimate grievances, particularly those of the poor, under the false guise of ‘community activism’,” the South African leader wrote in a Monday statement posted on his website.
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PREMIUM TIMES has reported on the violent protests targeting other Black Africans in parts of South Africa. At least two Nigerians and two Ghanaians have been reported killed in such xenophobic attacks.
Last week, Nigeria summoned the South African High Commission and demanded a thorough and transparent investigation into their death. Properties belonging to many African migrants have also been destroyed in protests in parts of the country.
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The Ghanaian government recently wrote to the African Union requesting that the attacks on African migrants in South Africa be discussed at the AU Mid-Year Coordination Summit, as concerns heighten.
On Monday, this newspaper published an editorial calling on Mr Ramaphosa to act to stem the violence.
In his statement, Mr Ramaphosa said his government would clamp down on the perpetrators.
“Some of these people are assuming functions that only state officials are permitted to perform, including stopping people to check identification and conducting searches of private property. Such lawlessness will not be tolerated, regardless of who the perpetrators or victims are,” he wrote.
He also attributed the situation to illegal migration, describing it as a challenge that threatens Pretoria’s social stability and national security.
He said, “Undocumented migration places strain on healthcare, housing, and municipal services, particularly in poor communities.”
“It distorts the labour market,” he wrote. “In a country with high unemployment, some employers are exploiting undocumented, cheaper foreign labour over hiring citizens and paying them legal wages.”
He said the desire of employers for cheap labour over legal wages is fuelling social tension and undermining labour protection laws and the “hard-won” rights of workers.
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He said the government will now begin to “step up workplace enforcement against employers who hire undocumented foreign nationals in violation of labour and immigration laws.
“The Border Management Authority (BMA) and the Defence Force are strengthening border security and combating illicit cross-border activity. We commend the BMA for successfully intercepting some 450,000 people trying to enter South Africa illegally in the past financial year. As we strengthen our borders, we continue to reform our migration and citizenship framework.
“We continue to arrest and deport undocumented foreign nationals in accordance with the law, as we take forward the fight against corruption within the immigration system.
“This is a society-wide challenge in which the private sector and government should all play a constructive part. South African citizens who collude with undocumented foreign nationals in fake marriages, the illegal sale of state-subsidised housing or accepting bribes to facilitate access to social services only deepen the problem. Many South Africans are exploiting undocumented labour in households and in the informal sector,” he said.
Mr Ramaphosa further urged citizens to reject “attempts to damage the country’s international reputation and to undermine the solidarity that has defined South Africa’s relations with the rest of Africa.”
