By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned protesters planning to take part in the national shutdown, that violence, threats and intimidation will not be tolerated.
South Africa is bracing for protest action on 30 June by anti-illegal-immigration groups.
Thousands of immigrants have already left South Africa because of a rise in anti-immigrant protests and violence.
The anti-immigrant groups blame illegal immigration for country’s soaring unemployment. They’ve set a deadline for illegal immigrants to leave and for the government to take action.
Writing in his weekly letter to he public, the president said that the freedom to protest is one of the “defining freedoms” of democracy.
However, he said that freedom comes with responsibilities.
“The right to protest and freedom of expression does not allow people to threaten or intimidate others, or to engage in acts of vandalism or violence,” he said.
“Those who intend to protest should do so peacefully, lawfully and with respect for the rights, dignity and safety of others. Where there is criminal conduct, those responsible will be held accountable and the law will take its course. We must reject the idea that acts of violence or intimidation are justified on the basis of a grievance, for political reasons, or because those who commit such acts claim they were somehow provoked,” he stated.
He added that there were many foreign nationals living in South Africa legally and who were also protected by the country’s Constitution.
Ramaphosa further cautioned the protest organisers that they would be held to their assurances that their protestors would not descend into violence.
The President further acknowledged the pressure that illegal immigration placed on border control, criminality and the burden on public services and accepted that the immigration system needed “substantial” reform.
“We are strengthening border management, increasing enforcement against undocumented immigration, improving the integrity of the asylum and visa systems, and taking action against corruption that has weakened immigration control. We also recognise that where our systems have failed, they must be corrected. Where corruption has enabled illegal immigration, those responsible must be held accountable. Where enforcement has been inadequate, it must improve,” he said.
However, he urged South Africans to work together to address the issues around illegal immigration, noting recent meetings with monarchs and other traditional leaders, trade union and business leaders, and those in the religious community.
He stated that these parts of society have lent their support for respect for the law during Tuesday’s protests and warned against citizens taking over law enforcement tasks such as asking for identification and enforcing immigration laws.
He described these actions as vigilantism under the guise of patriotism.
“The painful history of the pass laws reminds us why the authority to demand identification and enforce immigration laws belongs to government law-enforcement officers acting within the Constitution—not to private individuals. Whatever the motivation, taking the law into one’s own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy.”
“We must never allow ourselves to return to that painful chapter of our history where people were stopped on the street, had their physical identities scrutinised, and their right to move freely in the country hindered by suspicion and humiliation,” Ramaphosa said.
South Africa has a history of anti-immigrant sentiment as people from poor countries come to Africa’s biggest economy seeking opportunities.