Johannesburg: President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa remains a respected member of the African community of nations and a principled Pan-African actor, despite concerns raised by some African countries concerning migration-related matters. According to South African Government News Agency, the President was responding to questions in Parliament on Tuesday regarding South Africa's standing on the continent and the measures the government is taking to restore confidence in the country as a Pan-African voice. President Ramaphosa emphasized the government's firm rejection of xenophobia, Afrophobia, vigilantism, and all forms of discrimination against people from other countries. South Africa has reinforced its commitment to Pan-Africanism through cooperation with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and partner States on migration governance, regional integration, and burden sharing. The President noted that the government has engaged directly with several Heads of Sta te and Government to clarify South Africa's position and approach to migration. He highlighted the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit, hosted by South Africa in eThekwini earlier this month, where migration was proactively placed on the agenda. 'Last week, at the 46th Ordinary SADC summit that we hosted in eThekwini, we took the opportunity to brief the leaders of the region on the situation in the country, and this we did without being asked either to account or to explain,' President Ramaphosa said. The President stated that this approach allowed South Africa to explain its measures while encouraging regional collaboration on the broader migration challenge. 'In its communiqué, the summit called for a coordinated and multidimensional dialogue at the regional level to address the underlying drivers of migration and develop comprehensive, sustainable, and effective responses,' he said. President Ramaphosa outlined a comprehensive approach to migration management based on the rule of law, respect for human dignity, and stronger State institutions. This includes reforming the country's migration governance framework through enhanced border management, addressing corruption within the immigration system, improving legal migration pathways, and implementing the White Paper on Citizenship, Migration, and Refugee Protection. He also rejected claims that South Africa is becoming diplomatically isolated due to tensions over migration and attacks against foreign nationals. President Ramaphosa noted that International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola had engaged with several countries as his Special Envoy, fostering positive discussions with foreign leaders. The President concluded by reaffirming South Africa's commitment to advocating for collective African solutions to migration while maintaining diplomatic engagements with countries concerned about developments in the country.
