South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged citizens planning to participate in anti-immigration protests on June 30 to do so peacefully and within the law, warning that violence, intimidation and vigilantism have no place in the country’s constitutional democracy.
In a message to the nation on Monday titled “Protest is both a right and a responsibility,” Ramaphosa acknowledged growing public concerns over undocumented immigration and its impact on communities.
He said, “Tomorrow, 30 June, marks the date that several groupings have identified for protests against undocumented immigration in South Africa.
“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.”
The president said the right to protest is protected under South Africa’s Constitution but stressed that constitutional freedoms do not permit threats, intimidation, vandalism or violence.
“The right to protest is enshrined in our Constitution. It is a credit to our robust democratic order that people are able to express their grievances openly.
“But the right to protest and freedom of expression does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he stated.
Ramaphosa said the government recognises the need for reforms to the country’s immigration system and is already implementing measures to strengthen border management, improve visa and asylum processes, and tackle corruption.
“Government has accepted that our 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,” he declared.
He added: “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.”
The president said consultations had been held with traditional leaders, labour unions, business groups, religious organisations and other stakeholders, many of whom have backed government efforts and called for tolerance and respect for the rule of law.
While recognising citizens’ right to demonstrate, Ramaphosa warned that criminal acts committed during protests would not be tolerated.
Ramaphosa said, “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.”
The president also emphasised that many foreign nationals residing in South Africa are in the country legally and contribute positively to society.
“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 asserted.
Ramaphosa reserved some of his strongest comments for individuals who take immigration enforcement into their own hands, describing such actions as vigilantism.
He stated, “The painful history of the pass laws reminds us 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 those who commit such acts claim to be defending. It is vigilantism thinly disguised in the language of patriotism.”
He urged South Africans not to repeat painful episodes from the country’s past.
The president further noted, “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.”
Ramaphosa said law-enforcement agencies were prepared to maintain order and protect both public safety and the right to peaceful protest.
“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 concluded.
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