In this opinion piece on Daily Maverick, we examine what we describe as a contradiction in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s approach to migration. While condemning xenophobia, vigilantism, and violence against migrants, the President also repeated claims that undocumented migration places pressure on public services and job creation.
The article argues that South Africa’s challenge is not an immigration crisis, but rather a migration governance crisis, pointing to administrative failures within the Department of Home Affairs, permit backlogs, corruption, and inefficiencies that contribute to irregular migration status.
It further questions the common narrative that migrants are responsible for unemployment and the deterioration of public services, suggesting that governance failures, corruption, and structural economic challenges are the primary causes of these problems.
As South Africa continues to grapple with migration, social cohesion, and economic challenges, we have raised important questions about governance, accountability, constitutional rights, and the risks of scapegoating migrants for broader societal problems.
Read the full article on the original publication: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2026-06-08-ramaphosas-migration-contradiction-acknowledging-xenophobia-while-feeding-the-myth-1/
KAAX shares this article as a contribution to ongoing public discussions on migration, human rights, constitutional values, and social cohesion in South Africa.
