President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged calm ahead of Tuesday’s planned protests against undocumented immigration, saying that while citizens have the right to protest, violence and vigilantism will not be tolerated.
The President made the appeal hours to the protests, saying his government has taken note of the issue and will be committed to strengthening immigration enforcement and border security.
“South Africans have raised deep concerns about illegal immigration, border management, pressure on public services, criminal syndicates that exploit our immigration system and the impact these challenges have on communities. These concerns are real, and they deserve to be heard,” he assured.
His government, he added, has accepted that the immigration system requires substantial reform.
“We are strengthening border management, increasing enforcement against undocumented immigration, improving the integrity of the asylum and visa systems, and taking action against corruption that has weakened immigration control. We also recognise that where our systems have failed, they must be corrected. Where corruption has enabled illegal immigration, those responsible must be held accountable. Where enforcement has been inadequate, it must improve,” he said.
In support of these efforts, the executive has further held meetings with the country’s traditional monarchs and other traditional and Khoi-San leaders, with trade union and business leaders, with the religious community, and with other formations in society.
South Africa struggled under the oppressive pass laws, which formed the backbone of the apartheid system, laws that restricted the movement of Black natives, enforced racial segregation, and ensured a steady supply of cheap labour for mines and other industries.
Taking cognisance of this dark and painful history, the President said the past laws are a reminder of why the authority to demand identification and enforce immigration laws belongs to government law-enforcement officers acting within the Constitution, not to private individuals.
“Whatever the motivation, taking the law into one's own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy. This is a betrayal of the very constitutional order that those who commit such acts claim to defend. It is vigilantism thinly disguised in the language of patriotism. We must never allow ourselves to return to that painful chapter of our history where people were stopped on the street, had their physical identities scrutinised, and their right to move freely in the country hindered by suspicion and humiliation,” he urged.
He, however, cautioned that the issues must be addressed through lawful and constitutional means. “The right to protest is enshrined in our Constitution. It is a credit to our robust democratic order that people can express their grievances openly. But the right to protest and freedom of expression do not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he urged.
The President also affirmed that some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully. They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society.
“They, too, are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution,” he said.
He further called for a whole-of-society approach to the matter, noting the state’s role in addressing the grievances raised and the citizens’ responsibility to pursue change peacefully and within the framework of our Constitution.
“Freedom comes with responsibility. The right to protest is one of the defining freedoms of our democracy, but every right carries corresponding responsibilities. Those who intend to protest should do so peacefully, lawfully and with respect for the rights, dignity and safety of others. Where there is criminal conduct, those responsible will be held accountable, and the law will take its course. We must reject the idea that acts of violence or intimidation are justified based on a grievance,” he warned.
Meanwhile, traditional, religious and community leaders, from business, labour and civil society organisations, have also called for tolerance and respect for the rule of law.
Security agencies will also be on standby, ‘ready in defence of the law’, as the protests take place.
“Throughout our history, we have overcome difficult moments not through fear or division, but by choosing law over lawlessness, dialogue over confrontation and justice over vengeance. Let us once again choose that path. Let us protect both our borders and our Constitution, both our security and our humanity. We are capable of doing both, and we must,” he said.
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