Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africans should be ashamed of the treatment of foreign nationals in the country, particularly people from the Southern African diaspora.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) public lecture in eThekwini on Friday, where he condemned recent incidents involving foreign nationals who were allegedly forced to leave the country under threats of violence.
“As South Africans, we are deeply concerned and ashamed that people from other nations, some whose leaders are here, were treated badly and were even forced to leave the country under threat of violence,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the actions of individuals involved in violence against foreign nationals went against the principles of solidarity and regional cooperation on which SADC is built.
SADC SUMMIT | President Cyril Ramaphosa says, “As South Africans, we are deeply concerned and ashamed that people from other nations were treated badly and were even forced to leave the country under threat of violence.” pic.twitter.com/B7OzpJXCI2
— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 14, 2026
“We cannot preach integration at summits and practise exclusion in the streets of our countries,” he said.
Ramaphosa said migration had shaped Southern Africa for generations and contributed to the region’s diversity and cultural richness.
“Southern Africa has borne witness to the movement of people over millennia. Our people are the products of migration,” he said.
He added that the similarities between communities across the region, including language and culture, demonstrated the deep connections created through migration.
Ramaphosa called for greater regional efforts to address the treatment of migrants and ensure that the principles of integration promoted by SADC are reflected within communities.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
