DistantNews
Support us
South Africa’s Ramaphosa calls for African action on migration amid xenophobic violence
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

South Africa’s Ramaphosa calls for African action on migration amid xenophobic violence

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urged African nations to collaborate on migration management amid rising anti-migrant sentiment and violence.
  • The call follows weeks of xenophobic attacks blaming migrants for crime and straining public services, leading to a significant exodus of foreign nationals.
  • Ramaphosa condemned the violence, acknowledging the loss of lives and emphasizing the need to address root causes of migration like conflict and poverty.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appealed for continental cooperation on migration, as his government grapples with escalating anti-foreigner sentiment and violence. The president addressed the Pan-African Parliament, acknowledging that unmanaged migration poses security and social order risks.

As African countries, we have to acknowledge and address the conditions that drive migration in the first place. We need to work together to address issues like conflict, instability, governance failures, poverty and social discord.

— Cyril RamaphosaAddressing the Pan-African Parliament on the need for collective action on migration.

Ramaphosa's call comes after weeks of protests and attacks targeting foreign nationals, particularly undocumented migrants, who activists blame for crime and overburdened public services. This has resulted in a substantial outflow of migrants, with over 160,000 foreign nationals departing South Africa in recent months, according to an AFP tally. At least four migrants have been confirmed killed in the violence, though some foreign governments report higher figures.

"We in South Africa deeply regret and mourn" the lives lost, Ramaphosa stated, condemning the attacks as "sad and abhorrent." He affirmed a firm stance against xenophobia and "Afrophobia," while acknowledging the deep-seated nature of the issue. South Africa, a historically attractive destination for migrants, has experienced periodic xenophobic violence for nearly two decades, with significant outbreaks in 2008, 2015, 2016, and 2019.

We’ve taken a firm stand against hatred for people from other countries, xenophobia or Afrophobia.

— Cyril RamaphosaCondemning the recent anti-migrant violence in South Africa.

The president stressed the need to address the underlying conditions driving migration, such as conflict, instability, governance failures, and poverty. Ghana has called for an African Union debate on the violence, and two of its citizens have petitioned the International Criminal Court, a move Pretoria dismissed as "opportunistic." This current wave of violence has prompted several governments to organize coordinated repatriations for their nationals, a scale not seen in previous incidents.

The attacks were “sad and abhorrent”, Ramaphosa said, adding that “we in South Africa deeply regret and mourn” the lives lost.

— Cyril RamaphosaExpressing regret and mourning for the victims of xenophobic violence.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog