Pretoria – In a powerful and wide-ranging address to the nation on Monday, May 11, 2026, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a stern warning to vigilante groups and opportunistic activists targeting foreign nationals, asserting that the rule of law must remain the bedrock of South African society. Through his weekly newsletter, the President sought to strike a delicate but firm balance: unequivocally condemning xenophobic violence while simultaneously acknowledging the severe socio-economic pressures exerted by undocumented migration on the country’s fragile infrastructure.
The President’s message comes in the wake of a fresh wave of unrest in several provinces, where self-styled community groups have been accused of harassing foreign residents, conducting illegal searches of private property, and demanding identification in the streets. Ramaphosa made it clear that such actions are not only illegal but run contrary to the foundational values of the democratic South Africa born in 1994.
Dear Fellow South African, the President began, using his characteristic opening to signal a moment of national reflection. The recent violent protests and criminal acts directed at foreign nationals in parts of our country do not represent the views of South Africa’s people nor reflect our government’s policy.
He described those spearheading these movements as opportunists who are deliberately weaponizing the legitimate grievances of the poor to sow division. Ramaphosa noted with concern that some individuals have begun to assume functions that are the sole preserve of the state.
Some of these people are assuming functions that only state officials are permitted to perform, including stopping people to check identification and conducting searches of private property, Ramaphosa warned. Such lawlessness will not be tolerated, regardless of who the perpetrators or victims are. No individual or group has the right to take the law into their own hands.
The President’s comments were seen as a direct rebuke to groups that have gained traction in urban centers, often using social media to mobilize community clean-up operations that frequently devolve into intimidation and violence against non-nationals.
While the President’s tone was one of condemnation regarding violence, he did not shy away from the hard realities of migration. For the first time in such a public forum, Ramaphosa provided a detailed breakdown of how illegal immigration is affecting South African society, characterizing it as a risk to social stability, governance, and national security.
He pointed out that the presence of a large, undocumented population places an unsustainable strain on essential services, particularly in the townships and informal settlements where the poorest South Africans live. Undocumented migration places severe pressure on healthcare, housing, and municipal services, he said. In these struggling communities, every resource is already stretched to its limit.
Furthermore, the President highlighted the distortion of the labour market as a primary driver of social tension. In a country grappling with one of the world’s highest unemployment rates, Ramaphosa accused some unscrupulous employers of fueling xenophobia by bypassing South African workers in favor of undocumented foreign labour.
In a country with high unemployment, some employers are exploiting undocumented, cheaper foreign labour over hiring citizens and paying them legal wages, the President noted. Not only is this fueling social tension, it is actively undermining our labour protection regime and eroding the hard-won rights of workers.
In response to these challenges, President Ramaphosa outlined a multi-front government strategy focused on border security, legislative reform, and strict workplace enforcement. He praised the Border Management Authority (BMA), which was established to centralize the control of South Africa’s porous borders, for its recent successes.
The President revealed that the BMA, working in tandem with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), successfully intercepted approximately 450,000 people attempting to enter the country illegally during the last financial year. This figure, he suggested, is a testament to the government's renewed commitment to asserting its sovereign right to regulate who enters its territory.
As we strengthen our borders, we continue to reform our migration and citizenship framework, Ramaphosa stated, hinting at legislative shifts intended to modernize how South Africa handles both refugees and economic migrants. He emphasized that while South Africa remains a sovereign nation with the right to enforce its laws, it is doing so in a way that balances constitutional and international obligations with safeguarding national security.
One of the most significant pillars of the President’s strategy involves moving the focus from the migrants themselves to the businesses that profit from their undocumented status. Reiterating a commitment made during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ramaphosa confirmed that the government is in the process of recruiting up to 10,000 labour inspectors.
These inspectors, operating under the Department of Employment and Labour, will be tasked with conducting aggressive blitzes across sectors such as hospitality, construction, and agriculture to ensure compliance with both immigration and labour laws.
We are stepping up workplace enforcement against employers who hire undocumented foreign nationals in violation of the law, the President said. We want to ensure that our labour laws are adhered to and that no worker is exploited while no citizen is unfairly excluded from the job market.
In a move that surprised many, the President turned his gaze inward, criticizing South African citizens who facilitate illegal migration for personal gain. He argued that the problem is not merely an external one but is exacerbated by internal corruption and collusion.
Ramaphosa cited several shameful practices that he said deepen the migration crisis, including the arrangement of fake marriages to obtain residency, the illegal sale of state-subsidized RDP housing to foreign nationals, and the acceptance of bribes by government officials to bypass social service waitlists.
South African citizens who collude with undocumented foreign nationals in fake marriages, the illegal sale of state-subsidized housing, or accepting bribes to facilitate access to social services only deepen the problem, he lamented. Many South Africans are also exploiting undocumented labour in their own households and in the informal sector. This is a society-wide challenge in which every South African must play a constructive part.
As the current chair of several regional bodies and a leading voice on the continent, South Africa’s international reputation has been bruised by recurring cycles of xenophobic violence. Ramaphosa used his newsletter to defend the country’s standing, insisting that the acts of a violent few should not overshadow South Africa’s commitment to Pan-Africanism.
As a country, we must reject attempts to damage our country’s international reputation and to undermine the solidarity that has defined South Africa’s relations with the rest of Africa since the dawn of democracy, he urged.
He reminded citizens that South Africa’s refugee protection framework is among the most progressive in the world. Unlike many nations that confine refugees to isolated camps, South Africa allows displaced persons to live within communities, participate in the local economy, and access public healthcare and education. This model of integration, he argued, is a point of national pride that must be protected from isolated acts of criminality.
To underscore the importance of these ties, the President pointed to the tourism and academic sectors. He noted that last year, visitors from African countries accounted for over 8 million of the 10.5 million total tourist arrivals in South Africa. He also highlighted the thousands of African students and academics hosted in South African universities and the country’s role as the host of the Pan-African Parliament.
President Ramaphosa sought to place South Africa’s struggles within a global context, noting that migration pressures are a universal phenomenon. South Africa is not unique in confronting the pressures associated with undocumented migration. Many countries across the world, including in Africa, are themselves grappling with similar tensions, he said.
He called for greater cooperation between African nations to address the root causes of migration—such as conflict, economic instability, and climate change—noting that the regulation of migration requires cooperation and understanding between countries on the continent and further afield.
However, he was unequivocal that such cooperation does not supersede national law. Like every other country in the world, we will continue asserting our sovereign right to regulate migration, secure our borders and enforce our laws.
As the nation enters a critical period of economic recovery, the President concluded with an emotional plea for peace and ethnic tolerance. He warned that ethnic mobilization and intolerance have no place in a country that fought so hard to defeat a system built on those very foundations.
We must make it clear that there is no place in South Africa for xenophobia, ethnic mobilization, intolerance or violence, he said. Everyone in South Africa—whether citizen or foreign national—is bound by the same laws, and we are committed to ensuring that they are respected and upheld by all.
The President’s newsletter has set a clear agenda for the coming months. With 10,000 new inspectors set to hit the streets and the BMA tightening its grip on the borders, the government is hoping that a visible enforcement of the law will cool the legitimate grievances of the poor and take the wind out of the sails of vigilante groups.
Political analysts have noted that this is perhaps Ramaphosa’s most comprehensive attempt to date to address the push and pull factors of xenophobia. By acknowledging the strain on services and the labour market, he is attempting to show the South African public that their concerns are heard, while simultaneously drawing a hard line against the violence that threatens to turn the country into a pariah on the continent.
As the police continue to monitor flashpoints in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, the eyes of the continent remain fixed on Pretoria. The success of Ramaphosa’s strategy will depend not just on the number of inspectors hired or people intercepted at the border, but on whether the government can restore a sense of order that satisfies a frustrated populace without sacrificing the human rights values that define the post-Apartheid era.
The work of building a united, non-xenophobic South Africa continues, the President concluded. It is a task for every one of us.
