South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged citizens planning to participate in anti-immigration protests on June 30 to do so peacefully and within 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 and its impact on communities.
He said, “Tomorrow, 30 June, marks the date that several groupings have identified for protests against undocumented immigration in South Africa.
“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.”
