MEDIA STATEMENT
FRIDAY, 14 FEBRUARY 2025

KAAX is a campaign that mobilises communities to champion the rights of vulnerable groups, including migrants and South Africans.  In the  2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), the President spoke at length about peace, justice, and equality and yet failed  to acknowledge the systemic discrimination and exclusion faced by migrants and refugees in South Africa, especially those from Africa.  

Ramaphosa stated:

“As South Africans, we stand for peace and justice, for equality and solidarity. We stand for non-racialism and democracy, for tolerance and compassion. We stand for equal rights for women, for persons with disabilities, and for members of the LGBTQI+ community. We stand for our shared humanity, not for the survival of the fittest.”

Our experience on the ground is that too many South Africans, including public servants do not stand for peace, justice and equality let alone notions of solidarity when it comes to migrants in South Africa. We would have expected the President to call out and denounce   the violence, scapegoating, and marginalization faced by African migrants in South Africa. While the government champions non-racialism and human rights on the global stage, it simultaneously enforces policies that criminalizes   migrants undocumented or not, and fuels xenophobia and afrophobia within its own borders.

A Nation “Open for Business” but Closed to the Vulnerable

Ramaphosa declared that “South Africa is open for business and tourism,” a clear message to international investors and wealthy visitors. But what about those fleeing political persecution, economic collapse, and human rights violations and/or people who are directly affected by the climate crisis; displaced by floods, and droughts from our   neighboring countries?

His speech made no commitment to protecting asylum seekers, ensuring access to basic services for refugees, or addressing the xenophobic violence that continues to threaten migrant communities. South Africa’s immigration policies remain deeply exclusionary, with predominantly migrants from Africa, irrespective of their status,   facing detention, deportation, and public vilification, yet, this humanitarian crisis is conveniently ignored. We as South Africans should be showing empathy and solidarity to the plight of our brothers and sisters fleeing to South Africa; respect for human rights and respect for human dignity is enshrined in the South African Constitution and is equally guaranteed to all without regard to race, class, nationality or gender  who live in South Africa

Selective Human Rights: South Africa’s Foreign Policy Hypocrisy

The President emphasised that South Africa’s international relations are guided by human rights, peace, and stability, but the cherry-picked approach of his government exposes its double standards. While he highlighted Palestinian suffering and South Africa’s legal action at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel, he remained silent on the oppression of, violence against and socio-economic hardships faced by, Zimbabwean, Mozambican, and other African migrants who have sought refuge in South Africa.

Where was the acknowledgment of:

• Zimbabweans struggling to access asylum services?
• Mozambicans fleeing violence and climate crisis of cyclones?
• The xenophobic violence faced by African migrants in townships and informal settlements?

A government that truly believes in human rights cannot pick and choose whose suffering to recognise. This was the practice of the racist apartheid regime. A constitutional democracy must ensure that justice, equality and human dignity must be upheld both internationally and within South Africa’s own borders.

The Silence on Basic Services and Migrant Rights

SONA 2025 made no mention of ensuring equal access to healthcare, education, or social grants for all who live in South Africa. People living in impoverished conditions, in informal settlements and townships continue to face systemic exclusion from essential services. Included in this are migrants who are treated not as people deserving of dignity but as political scapegoats for the government’s economic and delivery failures.

Most tellingly, there was no apology for what happened to or even acknowledgement of, the Stilfontein miners— workers who lost their lives in horrific conditions, their deaths not only facilitated by the actions of the SAPS but also virtually dismissed by the government itself. If South Africa truly values human dignity, where is the justice for them?

Ramaphosa and the Elon Musk Call: The Fight Against “Misinformation” or a Deflection?

Following widespread international criticism, President Ramaphosa personally spoke to billionaire Elon Musk to address “misinformation and distortions” about South Africa’s land reform policy. The South African presidency issued a statement reaffirming the country’s commitment to the rule of law, justice, fairness, and equality.

But if Ramaphosa is genuinely concerned about misinformation, why has he remained silent on the constant misinformation, lies and toxic anti-migrant rhetoric that floods social media and is rampant within South African politics? Where is the government response to the xenophobic narratives that portray migrants as criminals and economic burdens. 

Beyond Empty Words

The government of South Africa cannot continue to preach democracy and human rights internationally while failing to uphold these values at home. If the government truly stands for justice and equality, it must:

✅ End the criminalization and scapegoating of African migrants and provide pathways to legal status.
✅ Ensure equal access to healthcare, education, and social services for all who live in South Africa, regardless of nationality.
✅ Address xenophobia as a national crisis and take real action to stop violence against migrants.
✅ Expand protections for asylum seekers and refugees, rather than making it harder for them to find safety.

Until these steps are taken, statements about “shared humanity” and “justice for all” remain empty rhetoric. A government that cherry-picks human rights violations to suit its political agenda is not truly committed to justice. South Africa’s legacy as a champion of human rights must be inclusive of all people—Palestinians, Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, asylum seekers, and refugees alike. Anything less is hypocrisy.

Contact for Media Inquiries

Mike Ndlovu
media@kaax.org.za
+27 68 552 2510