Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at a meeting with Kings and Queens on Government's approach to managing migration

Your Majesties, Kings and Queens,
Ministers,
Officials,
Colleagues,

Thank you for accepting my invitation to this meeting to discuss a matter that concerns all our people: the issue of migration.

We would like to brief you on government's approach on this issue.

We would also like to be informed by the wisdom, experiences and concerns of those who lead our people and who are the custodians of our customs and our traditions.

For generations, the peoples of our region have been bound together by ties of kinship, culture and history that pay no heed to the borders drawn on maps.

Many of the people you lead share ancestry, language and customs with people in neighbouring countries.

Over recent months, South Africans from every walk of life have raised concerns about migration, and illegal immigration in particular.

These concerns arise in conditions of persistently high unemployment, poverty and hardship.

They arise in communities that are plagued by crime, violence and corruption, and where there is increasing pressure on public services.

Yet illegal immigration is not the cause of our social and economic difficulties.

To tackle the challenges our country faces, we need faster and more inclusive growth, job creation and development.

Migration is not the cause of our problems, but it is something that we must manage constructively and collectively.

We must do so while always holding firm to our Constitutional principles and shared values.

We are mindful that the recent mobilisation against foreign nationals carries real risks for our communities and for our country.

Unrest, violence and intimidation tear at the social fabric of our communities.

They endanger lives and they damage the standing and the reputation our country has worked hard to build.

We have seen how some other African countries have raised concerns about the mobilisation of anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa.

This has been worsened by the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

These developments strain the bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood that unite us with our neighbours on the African continent.

When I addressed the nation on the 7th of June to outline government's Comprehensive Approach to Managing Migration, I said that every person within our borders must be here lawfully.

I said that responsibility for enforcing our laws rests with the state, and that no individual may stop another to demand documentation or proof of nationality.

I said that there is no place for racism, sexism, tribalism, xenophobia, Afrophobia or any other form of intolerance.

The comprehensive approach adopted by Cabinet rests upon five pillars.

Firstly, we are cracking down on violations of immigration, labour and other laws.

Secondly, we are securing our borders.

Thirdly, we are strengthening our immigration system by rooting out corruption and deploying advanced technology.

Fourthly, we are closing the gaps in our laws and policies.

Fifthly, we are working with our sister countries through SADC and the African Union to address the conditions that compel people to migrate.

As a country, we need to have a common view and to take a common approach to managing migration.

Our Kings and Queens have a vital role to play in this effort.

As the traditional sovereigns of many of our people, as leaders who command deep trust and moral authority, you are well placed to speak out against intolerance and instability.

You can use your standing to calm tensions, resolve disputes through dialogue and prevent communities from being mobilised for violence and disorder.

Through the spirit of Ubuntu that you embody and protect, you can remind our people that we are defined by our humanity towards one another.

You continue to guide and unite your communities, working with government and other social partners to address the very conditions of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment in which these tensions take root.

I hope that we can emerge from this meeting with a clear sense of how government, our traditional monarchs and the institution of traditional leadership more broadly can work together to address this challenge.

While there are immediate pressures, the issue of migration is something that we must remain engaged with not only now, but into the future.

Thank you again for accepting my invitation and I look forward to our discussion.

I thank you.