Ramaphosa calls for calm, says only the state polices migration

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged calm and reaffirmed that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the state, not private groups, as South Africa navigates a tense period around anti-migrant mobilization. The government’s framing keeps the emphasis on lawful, institution-led processes while several neighbouring countries coordinate voluntary returns for their nationals. For the wider African diaspora, the episode is a reminder of how migration politics can flare, and why the official insistence on state-led enforcement over vigilante action carries weight.

Source: OkayAfrica / allAfrica (June 2026).