Picture: RSA president, Cyril Ramaphosa
By OBAKENG MAJE
8 June 2026- The Republic of South Africa (RSA) president, Cyril Ramaphosa said over recent months, South Africans from every walk of life have raised concerns about migration and illegal immigration. Ramaphosa said these concerns are being expressed in communities, workplaces, schools, clinics and across social media platforms.
He further said many South Africans are asking difficult, but legitimate questions. Ramaphosa added that they are asking whether the borders are secure.
“They are concerned about jobs. South Africans are raising these matters because they are concerned about pressure on public services. They are concerned about safety, security and the rule of law. These concerns are real, they deserve to be heard and they deserve to be addressed.
“South Africans are asking whether the government is taking the necessary steps to address these challenges. Tonight, I want to address these concerns. I want to explain what the government is doing to address them. And I want to outline the principles that must guide us as we confront this challenge together,” he said.
Ramaphosa said they must be honest about the context in which these concerns arise. He said South Africa faces persistently high levels of unemployment, especially among young people.
“Too many families are struggling to make ends meet. Too many communities are experiencing poverty and inadequate access to opportunities. In such circumstances, frustration can easily be directed at those perceived to be competitors for jobs and resources. Yet, we must recognise that illegal immigration is not the cause of all our economic challenges.
“The answer must be faster economic growth, greater investment, industrial expansion, infrastructure development and the creation of millions of new jobs. We know that migration is a global issue. It affects all countries,” said Ramaphosa.
He said the country – like many others throughout history – is a product of migration. Ramaphosa said it is the reason for their diversity and contributes to their vibrancy.
“As a democracy, we have welcomed visitors to our country. In line with our international obligations and our constitutional values, we accept people from other countries in need of protection from wars, conflicts, discrimination and violence. Like every other country in the world, we have laws that determine who can come to our country, what they can do here and how long they can stay.
“The basic principle, on which we all agree, is that every person within the borders of South Africa should be here legally. Every person who works in our country must be legally permitted to work. Every person who runs a business here must be legally permitted to run a business,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the challenge they have is that some people have migrated to the country irregularly and are here illegally. He said South Africa has a right to implement policies and measures that prevent irregular migration.
“South Africa is committed to protect, uphold and advance the human rights of all people in our country, whether citizens or foreign nationals. We are committed to honour our international obligations. The responsibility for enforcing immigration laws rests with the state and the state alone.
“There have been weaknesses in the way migration has been managed. There have been weaknesses in rigorous and focused enforcement. There have been instances of corruption. There have been gaps in our systems that have undermined public confidence. South Africans are entitled to expect better,” said Ramaphosa.
He said they accept that responsibility and they are taking decisive action to correct these shortcomings. Ramaphosa said South Africans have a right to expect a state that is effective, professional and capable of enforcing its own laws.
“Government will accordingly take action to address the expectations of our people in dealing with the challenge of the violations of our immigration laws. I must make it clear that only the authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, including violation of our immigration laws.
“No other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality. We know that South Africans are not xenophobic as there is no space for xenophobia, racism, sexism, Afrophobia or any other forms of intolerance in South Africa,” he said.
Ramaphosa said as communities and as a society, they must not be tempted to join those who want them to turn against people who were not born in South Africa and who are in their midst. He said they will and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilise the 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 or criminal agendas. 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. We expect foreign nationals to respect our laws. We therefore need to respect them ourselves. Almost all South Africans recognise that illegal immigration is a significant challenge,” said Ramaphosa.
The Guardian 