The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, stated that South Africa is unable to handle the issue of irregular migration alone and called on African countries for joint action to address the root causes of this phenomenon.
These statements were made by Lamola in response to an audience question during the High-Level Forum on Trade, Aid, and Immigration, which took place at the African Diaspora Forum in the United States of America on Friday. This forum was organized by the Black Caucus Foundation.
The question was raised against the backdrop of preparations for National Action Day on March 30th, which mandates the deportation of all illegally present migrants in the country. Previously, the Department of Home Affairs had already repatriated 89,936 people and deported 9,997 following protests held on June 30th.
Lamola emphasized that the government condemns vigilantism, noting that 354 people were arrested for anti-migrant violence. Of these, 103 cases (related to anti-migrant violence, intimidation, and robbery) are in court, and 43 are under investigation.
He explained that the South African government has developed a plan to prevent situations where people take the law into their own hands to ensure compliance with the law. Lamola clarified that such actions are the initiative of individual citizens, not state-sponsored activities.
Despite irregular migration being a reality for South Africa as a major destination for economic migrants, Lamola insisted that solving this problem is solely the responsibility of the government, not private individuals. He also stated that the South African government considers irregular migration a common problem.
During the forum, Lamola highlighted to participants that they are aware of what is happening in their countries and are obliged to address the root causes of irregular migration, including factors such as democratic deficits, economic growth, and job creation. He noted that when the South African economy faces difficulties, competition for limited resources naturally arises, which is occurring in the country.
Political analyst Professor Sifo Sipe agreed with Lamola's position on the rule of law but added that the minister and South Africa need to acknowledge their failure in securing borders. Sipe explained that uncontrolled immigration is a continental responsibility because people are fleeing their countries.
International relations and political analyst Gideon Chitanga noted that the question raised by the audience brings up legitimate concerns regarding South Africa's commitment to Pan-African solidarity and cooperation. He believes that not only does the minister need to emphasize this on the international stage, but there also needs to be a comprehensive internal process of engagement that examines the interconnected causes of the problem from a legal and immigration management perspective. Such a proactive approach aimed at creating fair conditions for legally entering or residing people would likely change the discourse and create conditions for a long-term solution to the problem.