JOHANNESBURG, June 16 – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday warned against blaming migrants for the country's economic pain, saying they should not be made scapegoats for South Africa's problems.
The country has seen a wave of protests and sometimes violent attacks against other African nationals in recent weeks, driven by anti-immigrant groups who blame them for high unemployment, crime and poor public services.
Speaking at National Youth Day celebrations in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa said South Africans, and youth in particular, were rightly frustrated by these issues.
South Africa's youth unemployment rate is 46%, its murder rate is the highest in the world, and racial inequality remains at an all-time high, three decades after the end of apartheid.
“Tackling these challenges requires practical solutions, not scapegoating vulnerable people,” Ramaphosa said.
“Even though we recognize the challenge of illegal immigration – which we are taking decisive action to address – our problems are primarily our own problems. And those that are ours to fix.”
Ramaphosa has previously condemned attacks on foreign nationals, a recurring problem in South Africa, but has struggled to crack down on them. The country is also under threat ahead of a June 30 deadline set by anti-immigrant groups to release all undocumented foreigners.
As the continent's largest economy, South Africa is a destination for people from neighboring countries looking for work, as well as people fleeing conflict in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ramaphosa is under pressure ahead of upcoming municipal elections in November, when his African National Congress party is expected to see its support decline due to poor governance and sluggish economic growth, as it has for years. reuters