South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged leaders across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to work together to address irregular migration, following a wave of anti-foreigner protests that forced thousands of migrants to leave the country.
Speaking at the close of the 16-nation SADC summit in Durban on Monday, Ramaphosa said South Africa had briefed regional leaders on the challenges posed by migration and called for a coordinated response.
“We thanked countries in our region for their understanding of the challenges that we faced and, in some respects, continue to face,” Ramaphosa said.
“We also expressed regret at what has befallen us as a country. We expressed a wish that we should all work together to address the challenge of migration,” he added.
More than 176,000 people have left South Africa in recent weeks, according to an AFP tally based on figures from African governments. The departures followed weeks of protests by populist groups demanding that undocumented foreign nationals leave the country by June 30.
The protests have highlighted deep tensions in South Africa, Africa’s most industrialised economy, where unemployment remains above 30 percent and inequality is widespread.
Earlier on Monday, about 300 anti-migrant protesters marched towards the SADC summit venue, calling on regional leaders to “fetch their people” from South Africa.
Security forces, including mounted police and officers on motorcycles, monitored the demonstration as a helicopter and drones flew overhead.
“We are here to tell you to come and fetch your people who are here in South Africa illegally,” said protest leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, one of the prominent figures behind the recent demonstrations.
She specifically referred to Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, whose nationals accounted for most of the migrants who recently left South Africa.
While some migrants returned home voluntarily, others were deported or assisted through government-supported repatriation programmes.
Ramaphosa, speaking at a public lecture on Friday on the sidelines of the summit, said South Africa was “deeply concerned and ashamed” that nationals of other African countries had been subjected to discrimination and ill-treatment.
At least four migrants were killed in the violence, according to South African police, although some foreign governments have reported a higher death toll.
The South African government has faced criticism over its handling of the protests and attacks, particularly from Ghana and Nigeria, although neither country is a member of SADC.
South Africa, which assumed the rotating SADC chairmanship at the summit, has proposed an Africa-wide conference aimed at finding a coordinated approach to migration across the continent.
