By Tichaona Katsvamutima
South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has called for a continent-wide approach to irregular migration, saying the country cannot address the challenge on its own.
Lamola said African countries needed to work together to tackle the underlying factors driving people to leave their home countries, including weak economic growth, limited job opportunities and governance challenges.
He was responding to a question during a High-Level Forum on Trade, Aid and Immigration at the African Diaspora Forum, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in the United States.
The discussion comes amid heightened tensions over migration in South Africa, including calls by anti-immigration groups for the deportation of undocumented migrants.
Lamola said the South African government condemned vigilantism and would not allow individuals or groups to take the law into their own hands.
He said 354 people had been arrested in connection with anti-migrant violence, while 103 cases involving violence, intimidation and looting were before the courts and another 43 cases were under investigation.
“The South African government has now put in place a plan to ensure that no individuals take the law into their own hands to enforce the law,” Lamola said.
He stressed that dealing with irregular migration was the responsibility of the government and not private individuals.
“South Africa is a top destination for economic migrants,” Lamola said, adding that irregular migration should be treated as a shared continental challenge.
The minister said countries across Africa needed to confront the conditions that were contributing to migration.
He cited challenges relating to democracy, economic development and job creation as some of the factors that needed to be addressed.
“When the economy of South Africa struggles, it is natural that there will be contestation for limited resources. And this is what is currently happening in our country,” Lamola said.
He said the South African government had a responsibility to restore order and manage migration while ensuring that the rule of law was upheld.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the migration challenge could not be addressed by South Africa alone, arguing that countries across the continent needed to examine why their citizens were leaving in search of opportunities elsewhere.
International relations analyst Gideon Chitanga said the debate also required greater engagement within South Africa, including clearer immigration management and measures to create fair conditions for people who were legally living and working in the country.
The issue of migration has increasingly become a regional concern, with South Africa attracting migrants from across the continent because of its relatively larger economy and employment opportunities.
