South Africa cannot single-handedly shoulder the problems of the entire African continent.
That is the message the government is conveying to its counterparts across the continent in response to anti-illegal immigration protests. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Immigration briefed the media in Pretoria following nationwide demonstrations led by the interest group March and March.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni warned that South Africa would push back against what she described as blackmail by countries that are mistreating their citizens, resulting in mass migration.
“South Africans cannot carry the burden of their country being stable, while there are those who say, ‘Oh, you benefited from the hospitality of your sister countries during your fight against apartheid.’ Yes, we benefited. Yet you tell us that it has been more than 30 years, so we cannot keep going back and complaining about apartheid or say that the difficulties we face are inherently linked to it.
“Why is the same conversation not being had with other countries? It has been more than 30 years since the apartheid government in South Africa stopped destabilising countries on the African continent. Why are they not being asked to ensure their own political stability? There is no apartheid government destabilising any country now. It has been 32 years.
“So we must all take responsibility for ensuring political stability in our own countries, and we must work together collectively to ensure the economic prosperity of the African continent. No single country can carry the burden of others, because that country will itself collapse,” said the minister.
Among the measures being implemented by the government is the strict application of the first country of safety principle, a move expected to significantly reduce the number of refugees hosted in South Africa.
Ntshavheni said she was confident that South Africa was doing its part to develop the continent’s economy and urged other governments to do the same.
“We understand that part of the pull factor to South Africa is economic development. Therefore, we need to work with our sister countries across the region of SADC and throughout the African continent to ensure that the entire region and the continent are developed.
“We have committed ourselves, along with all member states of the African Union, to Agenda 2063, including the goal of silencing the guns and ensuring Africa’s economic prosperity. As a country, under the AU leadership, we have championed infrastructure development across the continent.
“We remain champions of a healthy African continent. That is why we do more than simply express messages of support on issues affecting the continent. We have also contributed financially. We are helping to develop Africa’s vaccine manufacturing capability to ensure that the continent is healthier.
“As a country, we have led the development of the critical minerals strategy for the continent to ensure that Africa no longer exports raw materials, but instead exports products manufactured on the continent. It is only through economic prosperity that this unregulated immigration will come to an end,” said Ntshavheni.
The government said it continues to implement measures to curb illegal migration and reported this week that no fewer than 18,000 people had been processed for deportation or repatriation during the month of June alone.