Ramaphosa warns against vigilantism

by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appealed for calm ahead of planned nationwide protests against undocumented immigration, stressing that while the right to protest is protected by the Constitution, violence, intimidation and vigilantism will not be tolerated.

In his weekly letter to the nation, released on the eve of demonstrations scheduled for 30 June, Ramaphosa acknowledged growing public concern over illegal immigration, border security and the strain on public services, while reaffirming the government’s commitment to reforming the country’s immigration system.

“South Africans have raised deep concerns about illegal immigration, border management, pressure on public services, criminal syndicates that exploit our immigration system and the impact these challenges have on communities.

These concerns are real and they deserve to be heard,” Ramaphosa said.

The President emphasised that peaceful protest is a cornerstone of South Africa’s constitutional democracy but warned that constitutional rights must be exercised responsibly.

“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,” Ramaphosa said.

He stressed that South Africa remains “a constitutional republic governed by the rule of law” and said that policy decisions “cannot be determined by intimidation, threats or ultimatums”, but must instead be guided through democratic institutions and the Constitution.

Ramaphosa said the government had accepted that the country’s immigration system required “substantial reform” and outlined measures already under way, including strengthening border management, increasing enforcement against undocumented immigration, improving the integrity of asylum and visa systems, and tackling corruption that has undermined immigration controls.

“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.

The President said the government had engaged widely with traditional leaders, business, labour, religious organisations and civil society over recent weeks, adding that there was broad support for the government’s efforts to tighten immigration controls within the framework of the law.

While welcoming assurances from some protest organisers that demonstrations would remain peaceful, Ramaphosa warned that organisers would be expected to uphold those commitments.

“No cause, no matter how legitimate, will be an excuse to shift responsibility for violent acts,” he said.

Ramaphosa also defended the rights of foreign nationals who are legally resident in South Africa.

“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.

The President delivered a stern warning against citizens taking immigration enforcement into their own hands, drawing parallels with South Africa’s apartheid-era pass laws.

“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,” Ramaphosa said.

“Whatever the motivation, taking the law into one’s own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy.”

He added that such behaviour represented “a betrayal of the very constitutional order those who commit such acts claim to be defending” and described it as “vigilantism thinly disguised in the language of patriotism”.

Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to repeat the injustices of the past by subjecting people to arbitrary identity checks or harassment.

“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,” he said.

The President said law enforcement agencies were prepared to maintain public order during the demonstrations and called on citizens to safeguard both public safety and constitutional rights.

“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,” Ramaphosa said.

“Let us once again choose that path. Let us protect both our borders and our Constitution, both our security and our humanity. We are capable of doing both, and we must.”

– CAJ News