South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged a firm response to any violence linked to planned anti-immigration protests, warning that authorities will not allow anyone to destabilise the country.
The warning comes ahead of nationwide demonstrations scheduled for June 30, organised by citizen-led groups demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave South Africa. The planned protests follow months of growing anti-migrant sentiment, with several demonstrations turning violent.
Speaking in Parliament, Ramaphosa said security agencies were fully prepared to maintain law and order and warned that anyone who broke the law during the protests would face the full force of the justice system.
Police have announced heightened security measures across the country for June 30, while government officials continue engaging with community leaders, including the influential Zulu Royal House, in an effort to prevent unrest.
Recent xenophobic violence has already claimed several lives and forced thousands of migrants from countries including Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique and Nigeria to voluntarily return home. Temporary camps have emerged in Johannesburg and Durban as many await transport, raising concerns among humanitarian organisations over worsening living conditions.
Despite South Africa’s high unemployment rate of around 32%, the country remains a key destination for migrants seeking better economic opportunities. However, competition for jobs has fuelled resentment, with some citizens blaming undocumented migrants for rising crime and economic hardship.
Ramaphosa has rejected those claims, insisting migrants are being unfairly scapegoated for the country’s broader social and economic challenges. Nevertheless, immigration has become a major political issue ahead of this year’s local elections, with some politicians using the debate to rally public support.
South Africa has experienced deadly outbreaks of xenophobic violence in the past, including the 2008 riots that claimed 62 lives and the 2019 attacks on foreign-owned businesses around Johannesburg that left at least 12 people dead.
