WATCH | Security foils stage attack attempt on Ramaphosa during Freedom Day festivities

Ramaphosa

Bloemfontein — Security personnel intervened after a person attempted to jump onto the stage where President Cyril Ramaphosa was delivering his Freedom Day address on Monday.

The incident occurred during the official #FreedomDay2026 celebrations at Dr Rantlai Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein, Free State.

Footage shared by Newzroom Afrika showed the individual rushing toward the stage before being stopped by security officers.

The president continued his speech without interruption.

In his address, Ramaphosa called on South Africans to stand against xenophobia and uphold the law, warning that frustrations over illegal migration must not turn into prejudice against fellow Africans.

His remarks come amid a wave of attacks on foreign nationals in cities including Durban, Cape Town and East London, which have prompted official complaints from Ghana and Nigeria.

“We did not walk alone into freedom. We were carried by a tide of solidarity from the nations of Africa,” Ramaphosa said, recalling the support South Africa received during the anti‑apartheid struggle.

He urged citizens to embrace ubuntu and resist xenophobia, stressing that while government is clamping down on illegal migration, corruption in the immigration system, and businesses hiring undocumented workers, South Africans must not take the law into their own hands.

“As a nation that defeated colonialism and apartheid through international solidarity, we carry a responsibility to advance constitutional values beyond our borders,” he added.

The Freedom Day event commemorates South Africa’s first democratic elections held on 27 April 1994.

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