Ramaphosa Urges South Africans not to Scapegoat Migrants
Last update: June 16, 2026
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With anti-immigrant protests flaring and a deadline looming, President Cyril Ramaphosa is calling for calm. His message to frustrated South Africans is clear. Blaming migrants will not fix the country’s problems.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa had a firm message on Tuesday. Migrants should not be made scapegoats for the country’s economic struggles, he told the crowd at the National Youth Day Commemoration in Johannesburg, cbinews.tv reports.
His comments come as the country deals with a fresh wave of protests and, in some cases, violent attacks targeting other African nationals. Anti-immigrant groups have been pointing the finger at foreigners for South Africa’s high unemployment, crime levels and strained public services.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the frustration. He said South Africans, especially young people, have every right to be upset about those issues. The numbers back it up. Youth unemployment sits at 46 percent. The murder rate is among the highest in the world. And three decades after the end of apartheid, racial inequality remains stark.
But his argument is that pointing at migrants is not the answer. “Addressing these challenges requires practical solutions, not the scapegoating of vulnerable people,” Ramaphosa said.
He did recognise illegal immigration as a real challenge, adding that government is taking decisive action to address it. Still, he stressed that the core problems are home grown. “Our problems are in the main our own problems. And which we have a responsibility to fix ourselves.”
This is not the first time Ramaphosa has condemned attacks on foreign nationals. It is a recurring issue in South Africa, and clamping down has proven difficult. Tensions are especially high right now. Anti-immigrant groups have given all undocumented foreigners a deadline of June 30 to leave the country.
As the continent’s largest economy, South Africa continues to draw people from neighbouring countries looking for work, as well as those fleeing conflict in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The timing matters politically too. Ramaphosa is under pressure ahead of municipal elections in November. His African National Congress party has been losing support for years, largely due to poor governance and sluggish economic growth.
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