Toye Faleye/Reuters
South Africa is once again confronting the painful reality of xenophobic violence. President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking in a televised address on Sunday, vowed to take firm action against groups fueling anti-immigrant unrest that has shaken communities and damaged the country’s reputation abroad.
His words came as Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique began repatriating citizens caught up in the turmoil, with Mozambique reporting that five of its nationals had been killed.
Ghana has gone further, petitioning the African Union and compiling a list of assets lost by its citizens for possible litigation.
Ramaphosa condemned those exploiting public frustration over illegal immigration for political, personal, or criminal gain.
He warned that while South Africans have legitimate concerns about poverty and unemployment, vigilante actions such as stopping strangers on the street to demand identity papers are unacceptable.
Immigration enforcement, he stressed, is the responsibility of the state alone.
“We will and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilise our country through inciting lawlessness and violence,” he said.
Xenophobic attacks have long plagued South Africa, where immigrants are often scapegoated for economic hardship and crime.
Defenders of migrants argue these accusations are unfair, pointing instead to systemic poverty and inequality as the true drivers of frustration.
Ramaphosa echoed this view, acknowledging that migrants are being blamed for problems rooted in South Africa’s broader socio-economic struggles.
He emphasised that the government is taking steps to address migration more effectively, including stricter enforcement of regulations, an overhaul of immigration laws, and cooperation with neighbouring countries to tackle the root causes of illegal migration.
Plans are also underway to establish dedicated courts to handle immigration cases more swiftly and to replace outdated paper identity documents with secure biometric digital ID cards.
The violence has already strained South Africa’s relations with its neighbours, and Ramaphosa’s pledge is as much about diplomacy as it is about domestic stability.
For him, the challenge is not only to restore order but also to heal wounds.
His promise to confront xenophobic groups is more than a political statement — it is a test of whether South Africa can balance legitimate concerns about immigration with the values of dignity, unity, and humanity.
