The Presidency has pushed back against claims that South Africa is xenophobic, saying such allegations are unfairly damaging the country’s international reputation.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the narrative around xenophobia mirrors claims of “white genocide” that have previously been directed at the country.
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Magwenya was speaking in Cape Town on Wednesday during a media briefing on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s schedule and his recent bilateral meetings with regional leaders.
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According to Magwenya, Ramaphosa and Daniel Chapo agreed on the need for African countries to work together to tackle mass migration across the continent.
He said the two leaders were aligned in their view that South Africa should not be labelled as xenophobic.
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Magwenya stressed that protests remain protected under the Constitution, but said migration challenges require a broader continental response.
“People need to avoid lazy labels” about South Africa because it is harming the country’s image, he said.
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“We’ve got to be careful in how we analyse these issues, and we give them a proper characterisation, otherwise we risk unfairly maligning the country the same way as the country has been maligned over the so-called white genocide,” said Magwenya.
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He added that Ramaphosa and Chapo agreed immigration cannot be addressed in isolation, noting that several underlying factors contribute to people leaving their countries of birth.
The Presidency’s remarks come amid ongoing debates around immigration, border management and public protests by ordinary South African citizens targeted at foreign nationals living in South Africa and their businesses.
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