President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned violent protests and criminal acts against foreign nationals in parts of South Africa, saying they do not reflect the views of South Africans or government policy.
In a statement issued at 8:56 AM on Monday, 11 May 2026, from “The Desk of the President” and posted on his official X account, Ramaphosa urged the country to protect its international reputation and the solidarity it has built with the rest of Africa since 1994.
“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,” President Ramaphosa said.
He pointed to South Africa’s refugee protection system, which allows displaced people to live in communities, work, and access healthcare and education instead of being confined to camps. Ramaphosa noted that this approach reflects the country’s commitment to human rights and African integration.
Last year, visitors from African countries accounted for more than 8 million of the 10.5 million tourists who visited South Africa, he said. The president also highlighted the country’s role in strengthening regional ties through hosting African students and academics, people-to-people exchanges, and housing the Pan-African Parliament.
While acknowledging that South Africa, like many nations, faces pressures from undocumented migration, Ramaphosa said the challenge calls for cooperation, not division. He stressed that South Africa will continue to enforce its migration laws and secure its borders, but stressed there is no place for xenophobia, ethnic mobilisation, intolerance, or violence.
“Everyone in South Africa is bound by the same laws and we are committed to ensure that they are respected and upheld by citizen and foreign national alike,” he said.