President Cyril Ramaphosa has strongly condemned acts of vigilantism following recent violent demonstrations against undocumented immigrants in South Africa and reiterated calls for continental dialogue on the drivers of migration.
The President addressed the complexities of regional migration at the South Africa-Botswana Bi-National Commission held in Gaborone on Thursday.
He emphasised that since 1994, South Africa has “sought to welcome and integrate immigrants from other African countries and from beyond our continent”.
“At the same time, we have experienced a high influx of undocumented immigrants. This phenomenon has intersected with economic hardship and unemployment experienced by many of our people, contributing to tensions between some local communities and foreign nationals.
“Recent events in South Africa have once more brought to the fore the faultlines that all of us on the African continent must address.
“While appreciating the hardship in some of our communities, we have strongly condemned those of our citizens who took the law into their own hands. We have accordingly directed law enforcement agencies to protect every person in our country and uphold the rule of law,” President Ramaphosa said.
He welcomed calls for regional and continental talks on the challenges driving migration and the “responsibilities of countries of origin and transit countries”.
Further afield, the President raised alarm about the “volatile situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo” and the civil war unfolding in Sudan.
“The prospects for enhanced development on our continent depends on the existence of a peaceful, stable and secure environment.
“In this regard, the volatile situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is of concern. We must safeguard the territorial integrity of this sisterly country and support all parties in finding a negotiated solution.
“South Africa remains concerned about the civil war in Sudan, which has led to massive loss of lives, destruction of infrastructure, devastation of the economy and the creation of a major humanitarian crisis,” he said.
The political impasse and instability in neighbouring South Sudan is also of concern with the “operationalisation of the African Standby Force…becoming increasingly more urgent”.
“Conflicts in many parts of the world continue to adversely impact on global peace and security.
“There is a clear challenge to multilateralism and international law.
“It is therefore important to work tirelessly to reform the global institutions of governance, so that these reflect the diversity of the membership of the United Nations,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
