President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans planning to participate in Tuesday’s nationwide protests against undocumented illegal immigration to demonstrate peacefully and within the confines of the law,
warning that violence, intimidation and vigilantism have no place in the country’s constitutional democracy.
In a statement issued ahead of the planned march on 30 June, President Ramaphosa acknowledged that many South Africans have genuine concerns about illegal immigration, border management, pressure on public services and criminal syndicates exploiting the country’s immigration system. 
“The concerns are real and they deserve to be heard,” the President said.
He stressed that while the Constitution guarantees the right to protest and freedom of expression, these rights do not extend to threatening or intimidating others or engaging in acts of vandalism and violence.
“The right to protest is one of the defining freedoms of our democracy, but every right carries corresponding responsibilities,” Ramaphosa said.
The President said government had already accepted that South Africa’s immigration system requires substantial reform and outlined measures currently being implemented to address the issue.
These include strengthening border management, increasing enforcement against undocumented immigration, improving the integrity of the asylum and visa systems, and tackling corruption that has weakened immigration control.
“We also recognise that where our systems have failed, they must be corrected.
Where corruption has enabled illegal immigration, those responsible must be held accountable,” he said.
Ramaphosa said government had consulted widely with traditional leaders, business organisations, labour unions, religious groups and civil society organisations, many of whom have expressed support for lawful reforms while urging restraint during the planned demonstrations.
While welcoming assurances from some protest organisers that demonstrations would remain peaceful, the President warned that those responsible for any criminal acts would face the full force of the law.
“Where there is criminal conduct, those responsible will be held accountable and the law will take its course,” he said.
Ramaphosa also reminded South Africans that many foreign nationals living in the country are legally documented and contribute positively to the economy through work, investment and entrepreneurship.
“Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully. They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society.
They too are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution,” he said.
The President cautioned citizens against taking immigration enforcement into their own hands, saying the responsibility for checking identities and enforcing immigration laws rests solely with authorised law-enforcement agencies.
Drawing parallels with South Africa’s apartheid-era pass laws, Ramaphosa said the country must never return to a period where individuals were stopped in the streets and forced to prove their identity based on suspicion.
“Taking the law into one’s own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy,” he said.
Ramaphosa called on South Africans to protect both national security and constitutional values,
saying the country has consistently overcome difficult moments by choosing dialogue, justice and the rule of law over division and confrontation.
“Let us protect both our borders and our Constitution, both our security and our humanity. We are capable of doing both, and we must,” the President said.
