South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged Nigerians and other foreign nationals residing in the country to respect its laws, customs, and traditions, amid renewed anti-foreigner tensions in parts of the country.
Ramaphosa made the call during an address aired on SABC News to mark Freedom Day, stressing that lawful conduct by immigrants is essential to maintaining order and mutual respect.
“To those who are here legally, respect us as South Africans, respect our laws, respect our conventions and our traditions, as you would want us to respect the laws and traditions of your own country,” he said.
The President reiterated that while South Africa remains committed to global cooperation and human rights, authorities would not hesitate to enforce immigration laws, particularly against illegal residents.
“So we then therefore say, yes, let us allow our laws to take their course. We have already set in place the way in which we will be able to deal with those who are in our country illegally. We remain committed to multilateralism, to respect for international law and principled diplomacy,” Ramaphosa stated.
He further underscored the importance of international law in sustaining global peace and cooperation.
“International law was born from the devastation of global conflict. It is a shield for all countries in the world, regardless of their size or influence,” he said.
He added, “True multilateralism demands respect for diversity while remaining firm in the core principles of sovereignty, of human rights, of freedom, of accountability and peaceful coexistence.”
Ramaphosa’s remarks come against the backdrop of recent protests and reported attacks targeting foreign nationals in cities including Durban, Cape Town, East London, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, where incidents of looting and violence have been recorded.
However, Nigeria’s Acting Ambassador to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, has downplayed fears of a widespread crackdown on Nigerians, assuring that the situation is under control.
“Right now Nigerians are not under siege in South Africa. The situation is currently under control. The governments are working on it,” Ajayi said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme.
He described the incidents as limited in scope and urged Nigerians to remain calm while exercising caution.
Ajayi also dismissed viral videos allegedly showing foreigners being harassed or denied access to buildings as unrepresentative of the broader South African society.
“Those people you are seeing don’t represent the entire South African community. They are just people acting on their paymasters,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has issued safety advisories to Nigerians living in South Africa, urging them to remain law-abiding and avoid confrontations.
In a statement, the commission advised Nigerians to “avoid confrontation with protesters, refrain from engaging with demonstration groups, and monitor local media for real-time safety updates.”
NiDCOM warned that protests in affected cities have, in some cases, turned violent, leading to looting and property damage, and urged Nigerian business owners to take necessary precautions.
The commission also noted that the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg remains operational and is working with South African authorities to ensure the safety of citizens.
It further disclosed that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, is engaging with her South African counterpart to address the situation.
