Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has rejected calls for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa by 30 June, saying the deadline set by anti-immigration groups is unnecessary because government is already implementing measures to address illegal immigration.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Youth Day commemoration at Nasrec in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to take the law into their own hands.
He stressed that dealing with undocumented migrants is the responsibility of the state, saying: “No South African must take any action against any person from any of our African sister countries. That is the responsibility of government and government officials.”
The president said government has already introduced interventions to respond to public concerns about illegal immigration and ensure that people in the country are properly documented. According to Ramaphosa, these measures have been welcomed by many South Africans.
[WATCH] President Cyril Ramaphosa says he has taken a number of interventions to deal with the country’s immigration challenges. Ramaphosa calls on citizens not to be misled when it comes to immigration. He says there is an intention to distabilise the country using immigration… pic.twitter.com/LVwu8wmsnp
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) June 16, 2026
Dismissing the ultimatum, he said: “The so-called 30th of June, in my view, is not an event that is even necessary because we are addressing the challenges that our people are facing.”
Ramaphosa also warned that some individuals were exploiting the immigration debate to create instability, saying: “We must not allow South Africans to be duped and to be misled by those who want to foster instability in our country.” He added that security forces would ensure there is “no instability and no disruption of the lives of our people.”
The comments come amid growing anti-immigrant protests and calls for a nationwide shutdown on 30 June by some activist groups.
While government has promised tougher enforcement of immigration laws and stronger border controls, Ramaphosa has repeatedly emphasised that only authorities have the power to enforce those laws and that violence and vigilantism will not be tolerated.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
