Remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the special meeting with faith-based organisations, Union Buildings

Ministers,
Religious leaders,
Colleagues and Friends,

It is my honour to welcome you to this meeting, which gives us an opportunity to reflect on matters that are important to the life of our country and the progress of our people.

The faith community in our country has always been more than a place of worship. It has provided moral guidance and spiritual sustenance to our people.

Over many decades, our faith community has shown deep care about the conditions in which our people live and has worked for peace, justice and equality.

It is in that spirit that we meet today, to reflect together upon two matters: the challenge of migration and our National Dialogue.

Although they may appear to be distinct issues, they both touch on the values that bind us together as a nation and the shared responsibility we have to build a better future for the people of South Africa.

Allow me to begin with migration.

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

These concerns are real. They need to be heard and to be addressed.

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, investment and the creation of jobs.

We need to strengthen our efforts to tackle poverty and hunger.

We must build safer communities by addressing the causes of crime, improving policing and ending corruption.

Migration is not the cause of our problems, but it is something that we must manage constructively and collectively, always holding firm to our Constitutional principles and shared values.

That is why I addressed the nation on Sunday, the 7th of June, to outline the Comprehensive Approach to Migration Management that Cabinet has adopted.

In that address, I noted that our nation is itself a product of migration.

Yet 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 no matter how frustrated people may be, there is no place for racism, sexism, 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.

Through these actions, we will demonstrate that we can protect our borders while protecting human dignity.

We can enforce our laws while upholding our Constitution.

We can secure our communities while preserving the values of Ubuntu.

This is a responsibility that falls to all of us. And the faith community has a particularly important role to play.

When fear and anger rise, it is so often the voice of the pulpit, the mosque, the temple and the synagogue that can call our people back to compassion.

Together, we must work to ensure that frustration is never turned into hatred, and that the stranger among us is met with the dignity that all our faith traditions demand.

We must demonstrate that there is a better way to manage these genuine concerns - a way that builds cohesion in communities and strengthens the bonds between us.

The second issue I would like to address is the National Dialogue.

The National Dialogue continues our proud tradition of coming together to confront our challenges, to build consensus and to chart a course for the future.

At every defining moment in our history, we have found our way forward through dialogue with one another.

The National Dialogue is a people-led process that unfolds from local dialogue to national gatherings, through which all South Africans are able to define a vision and plan for our country.

For this Dialogue to carry legitimacy, it must be genuinely inclusive.

It must be a place where every voice is heard and real solutions are found.

Faith communities are vital to this endeavour, for you reach into every village, township and suburb.

You speak to conscience and to values in a manner that many others cannot.

The National Dialogue will inevitably touch the wounds of our nation, and the faith community is ideally placed to help heal these wounds through prayer and practical service.

I therefore invite you to be partners, participants and guarantors of the National Dialogue process.

There are many challenges facing our nation. But we can address them together.

Together, we can build a South Africa that is secure, lawful, compassionate and prosperous, one that upholds the dignity of every person and fulfils the promise of our democracy.

Thank you again for your attendance and I look forward to our discussion.

I thank you.