South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on citizens planning to participate in the June 30 anti-immigration protest to demonstrate peacefully and within the bounds of the law, warning that violence, intimidation and vigilantism have no place in the country’s constitutional democracy.
In a message to the nation on Monday titled “Protest is both a right and a responsibility,” Ramaphosa acknowledged growing public concerns over undocumented immigration, saying such concerns are legitimate and deserve to be addressed.
“These concerns are real and they deserve to be heard,” the president said.
While reaffirming that the right to protest is guaranteed under South Africa’s Constitution, Ramaphosa stressed that constitutional freedoms do not permit violence, vandalism, intimidation or threats against others.
“The right to protest is enshrined in our Constitution. It is a credit to our robust democratic order that people are able to express their grievances openly. But 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 stated.
The president said his administration recognises the need to reform the country’s immigration system and is already taking steps to strengthen border security, improve visa and asylum processes, increase enforcement against undocumented immigration and tackle corruption that has weakened immigration control.
“Government has accepted that our immigration system requires 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,” he said.
Ramaphosa reminded protesters that every constitutional right comes with responsibilities.
“Freedom comes with responsibility. 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,” he warned.
The South African leader also emphasised that many foreign nationals living in the country are there legally and contribute significantly to society.
“Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully. They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They too are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution,” he said.
Ramaphosa strongly condemned attempts by private individuals to enforce immigration laws, describing such actions as vigilantism.
“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. This is a betrayal of the very constitutional order those who commit such acts claim to be defending,” he added.
He urged South Africans not to repeat painful chapters from the country’s past by targeting people based on appearance or suspicion.
“We must never allow ourselves to return to that painful chapter of our history where people were stopped on the street, had their identities scrutinised, and their right to move freely hindered by suspicion and humiliation,” he said.
Ramaphosa assured citizens that law-enforcement agencies are prepared to maintain public order while protecting the constitutional right to peaceful protest.
“Throughout our history we have overcome difficult moments not through fear or division, but by choosing law over lawlessness, dialogue over confrontation and justice over vengeance,” the president concluded.
