South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in South Africa to obey the country’s laws, culture, and traditions amid rising tensions over immigration.
He made the statement during a Freedom Day broadcast on SABC News, following renewed anti-immigrant sentiments in parts of the country.
“To those who are here legally, respect us as South Africans, respect our laws, respect our conventions and our traditions, as you would want us to respect the laws and traditions of your own country,” he said.
Ramaphosa also warned that while South Africa remains committed to global cooperation and human rights, it will still enforce its immigration rules strictly. He encouraged citizens to trust legal processes when dealing with undocumented migrants.
“So we then therefore say, yes, let us allow our laws to take their course. We have already set in place the way in which we will be able to deal with those who are in our country illegally. We remain committed to multilateralism, to respect for international law and principled diplomacy,” Ramaphosa stated.
He further highlighted the importance of international law in maintaining global stability.
“International law was born from the devastation of global conflict. It is a shield for all countries in the world, regardless of their size or influence,” he said.
He added, “True multilateralism demands respect for diversity while remaining firm in the core principles of sovereignty, of human rights, of freedom, of accountability and peaceful coexistence.”
His remarks come amid reports of protests and attacks targeting foreign nationals in cities such as Durban, Cape Town, East London, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, where incidents of looting and violence have been recorded.
However, Nigeria’s Acting Ambassador to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, reassured Nigerians that the situation is not a nationwide crisis.
“Right now Nigerians are not under siege in South Africa. The situation is currently under control. The governments are working on it,” he said during an interview on Channels Television.
He explained that the incidents are limited and urged Nigerians not to panic unnecessarily.
Ajayi also dismissed viral claims of widespread harassment of foreigners.
“Those people you are seeing don’t represent the entire South African community. They are just people acting on their paymasters,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has advised Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm and follow safety precautions. It urged them to “avoid confrontation with protesters, refrain from engaging with demonstration groups, and monitor local media for real-time safety updates.”
The commission added that protests in some areas had turned violent, leading to looting and property damage, and encouraged Nigerian business owners to take extra precautions.
NiDCOM also confirmed that the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg is still operating and working with South African authorities to ensure the safety of Nigerians, while diplomatic talks continue between both governments.