South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stern warning against vigilante actions targeting foreign nationals, emphasising that the enforcement of immigration laws is exclusively the responsibility of the state.

Speaking to the nation on Sunday, 7 June, Ramaphosa stated that no individual or group has the authority to confront people in public spaces and demand proof of identity, amid growing tensions over illegal immigration.

His address follows a series of recent xenophobic incidents and anti-foreigner campaigns by certain groups in South Africa, which have raised serious concerns about social cohesion and public safety. “The responsibility for enforcing immigration laws rests with the state, and the state alone,” he said.

Ramaphosa underlined that while South Africans may have legitimate concerns regarding illegal immigration, these concerns must not be used to justify lawlessness, violence, or attacks on foreign nationals.

“I must make it clear that only authorised government officials may act against violations of the law, including violations of our immigration laws,” he stated.

He also cautioned against misinformation and inflammatory content on social media, highlighting that some groups were exploiting immigration issues for political, personal, or criminal purposes.

“We will, and must not allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilise our country through inciting lawlessness and violence. We will act against forces who are exploiting the concerns of our people about illegal immigration to further their own political, personal, and criminal agendas,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ghana has evacuated 1,500 of its nationals who voluntarily chose to return from South Africa following recent waves of xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant protests targeting foreign residents.