Lamola condemns attacks on foreign nationals, calls violence unlawful

Pretoria – International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has condemned attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, saying such violence is unlawful and will not be tolerated.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Foreign Ministers’ Retreat at Skukuza in the Kruger National Park, Lamola said several regional counterparts had raised concerns about the safety of their citizens following recent demonstrations linked to illegal migration.

“I am engaging with my counterparts… some of the SADC foreign ministers have raised the issue with me, particularly Malawi, who were affected mostly by their citizens,” Lamola said.

He reiterated government’s position that any attacks on foreign nationals are illegal. “We continued to assure them that as a South African government, we will condemn any form of attack against foreign nationals. It is in terms of our law, only the police can enforce the law,” he said.

Lamola acknowledged ongoing challenges related to irregular migration, saying government must strengthen its capacity to manage undocumented migration and ensure law enforcement is applied fairly.

“We do have a challenge of illegal migration… that we need to address, and we need as a government to build capability to respond to that, to be able to know who is in the country, what they are doing, where they are,” he said.

He added that migration remains a key issue under discussion at the SADC retreat, particularly as the region works towards deeper integration and freer movement of people and goods.

“One of the thematic areas is migration, because regional integration will not happen if there is no ease of movement of people and no ease of movement of goods,” Lamola said.

While acknowledging Africa’s support during South Africa’s liberation struggle, Lamola stressed that this does not justify lawlessness.

“We also understand… that the continent has a claim in us… but it does not mean that there must be lawlessness in our country. There must be order. There must be respect for the rule of law,” he said.

The SADC meeting is expected to focus on broader regional priorities, including trade, infrastructure, industrialisation, energy security, food systems and the free movement of people and goods.