President Cyril Ramaphosa has called out campaigns that seek to spread misinformation and sow discord as government intensifies efforts to tackle illegal immigration and strengthen migration management.
Addressing the nation on Sunday, the President acknowledged growing public concerns about migration, pressure on public services, jobs, safety and the rule of law, saying these concerns are real and deserve to be addressed.
“We know that South Africans are not xenophobic,” the President said, stressing that there is no place for xenophobia, racism, sexism, Afrophobia or any other form of intolerance in the country.
He, however, warned that some groups are attempting to exploit concerns about illegal immigration to incite lawlessness and violence, while others are spreading misinformation and falsehoods through social media campaigns.
He said government would act against those seeking to destabilise the country for political, personal or criminal gain.
“We will not be fooled or influenced by social media campaigns that spread misinformation, fake news and lies about foreign nationals.
“We must be concerned that anti-foreigner sentiment is at times accompanied by tribal and ethnic slurs, insults or attacks aimed at other South Africans.”
While emphasising that South Africa has the right to enforce its immigration laws and prevent irregular migration, President Ramaphosa said the responsibility of enforcing those laws rests with the State alone.
“No other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality,” the President said.
He said South Africa remains committed to protecting the human rights of all people in the country, whether citizens or foreign nationals, and to honouring its international obligations.
He urged communities to work together to address illegal immigration in accordance with the Constitution, the law and international obligations, without resorting to intimidation, victimisation or violence.
Respect for rule of law
The President reiterated the need for the respect of South Africa’s immigration laws.
“We expect foreign nationals to respect our laws. We, therefore, need to respect [the laws] ourselves.
“Illegal migration, if unchecked, poses a risk to South Africa’s security, stability and economic progress.
“We know that illegal migration affects service delivery and places additional burdens on essential services such as health care and education,” he said, while acknowledging the role illegal migration can play in organised crime.
“Criminal syndicates involved in trafficking, extortion, illegal mining, drugs and money laundering often use undocumented migration for recruitment and concealment of goods,” President Ramaphosa said.
As government rolls out its new migration management measures, the President said authorities would not allow anyone to use the issue of illegal immigration to undermine public safety or destabilise the country.
The President said South Africa can address the challenge of illegal immigration while remaining true to its constitutional values and the spirit of Ubuntu. He called on citizens to uphold human dignity, respect the law and build a country that is “secure, lawful, compassionate and prosperous”. – SAnews.gov.za
