Ramaphosa vows severe action against those behind xenophobia

Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of South Africa, says the government will deal with those who are using the issue of illegal immigration to further their political, personal and criminal agendas.

Addressing the nation on Sunday evening, the president acknowledged the concerns that South Africans have about undocumented immigrants in the country.

However, he issued a stern warning that only government is permitted to address the issue.

“We will act against forces that are exploiting the concerns of our people about illegal immigration to further their political, personal or criminal agendas,” he said.

“We will not be fooled or influenced by social media campaigns that spread misinformation, fake news and lies about people in our country.”

Ramaphosa emphasised that only authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, including violations of SA’s immigration laws.

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“No other person is allowed, for example, to confront someone in the street to demand proof of nationality.”

Ramaphosa said the government intends to do the following:

Crack down on the violation of the country’s immigration, labour and other laws.
Prevent people from entering SA irregularly and illegally.
Continue to stamp out corruption in the immigration system.
Strengthen immigration laws and policies.
Engage other countries in Africa to forge a broader response to migration challenges across the region and the continent.