South African president urges calm amid anti-immigrant protests

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday urged citizens not to resort to violence, xenophobia and vigilantism amid rising anti-immigrant protests in the country, which have claimed lives.

“We must be clear: every person in South Africa – whether they are citizens or foreign nationals – must respect our laws, and the rights of every person in our country must be upheld,” Ramaphosa told Parliament.

Ramaphosa’s appeal for calm follows increased violent protests led by vigilante groups who have been going door-to-door demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country.

Mozambique said on Tuesday that five of its nationals had been killed in “xenophobic attacks” in the South African coastal town of Mossel Bay.

Maputo added that efforts to repatriate hundreds of its citizens were underway.

The South African police, however, said only two Mozambican nationals had died during the weekend violence in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape Province, but did not state if the deaths were linked to anti-immigrant protests.

Anti-immigrant groups accuse foreign nationals of taking jobs meant for citizens by accepting low wages, allegedly committing crimes and straining social services, including hospitals and schools.

Ramaphosa said his government is taking decisive action to address illegal immigration in the country by increasing inspections of workplaces and prosecuting employers who violate labor laws by employing undocumented migrants.

“We are strengthening border security, stamping out corruption in the immigration system and closing the loopholes in fragmented immigration laws,” he said.

Human Rights Watch said in a report last week that South Africa’s deteriorating socioeconomic conditions, including unemployment and inequality, have contributed to growing anti-immigrant activism.

The exact number of undocumented migrants living in South Africa remains disputed, though anti-immigration groups estimate there could be more than 3 million people in the country illegally.

Waves of xenophobic violence have been recurring in South Africa since 2008, with the latest spike in anti-migrant protests coming amid preparations for November's local government elections.

Last month, Ghana repatriated about 300 of its citizens from South Africa following increased anti-immigrant violence.

The West African nation on Monday advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to South Africa until further notice due to the ongoing violence targeting African migrants.