Migration tensions test Pretoria’s African ambitions

Less than a week after President Cyril Ramaphosa and Kenyan President William Ruto stood at the Union Buildings promoting trade, investment and African integration, South Africa is sending envoys across the continent to explain its migration crackdown. The diplomatic effort follows Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on Sunday, in which he announced a raft of measures aimed at tackling illegal immigration, including immigration courts, intensified deportations, labour migration quotas and tighter border controls. The decision to dispatch envoys received far less attention than the enforcement measures themselves. Yet it may prove to be one of the most revealing aspects of the government’s response. In an interview with Ghana’s Joy FM this week, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola acknowledged that recent anti-foreigner tensions had affected South Africa’s relations on the continent. Asked whether recent events had strained ties with African countries, Lamola replied: “Yes, it has.” “That’s why we feel duty bound to explain to our African sister countries.” The remarks suggest Pretoria is now dealing with more than a domestic migration debate. It is also trying to contain growing diplomatic fallout across Africa. That fallout is most visible in Ghana. In May, nearly 300 Ghanaians returned home from South Africa amid growing tensions around migration and anti-foreigner protests. Ghanaian authorities have since indicated that they are documenting losses suffered by Ghanaian-owned businesses and individuals, while compensation has become part of the public debate. The issue has dominated news coverage in Ghana, where questions about the safety of African migrants and South Africa’s commitment to pan-African ideals have featured prominently. South African officials, however, have pushed back against some of the claims. Lamola told Joy FM that 74% of the Ghanaians who returned had overstayed their visas and had been declared undesirable under South African immigration laws. “The only issue we are clarifying is that as we deal with the matter, let’s deal with it factually, not misinformation,” he said. Throughout the interview, Lamola sought to draw a distinction between illegal immigration and hostility towards foreign nationals. He repeatedly condemned attacks on migrants and stressed that immigration enforcement remained the responsibility of the state. “There should be no such attacks against any foreign national,” he said. “It is the responsibility of government and not private individuals.” The compensation issue remains unresolved. Lamola confirmed that compensation was among the issues being discussed, although he stressed that no decision had been taken and investigations were continuing. “It is an issue that is being discussed,” he said. He added that any decision would need to be informed by the facts of individual cases and that government had not adopted a formal position on compensation. The dispute has exposed a growing tension at the heart of South Africa’s continental ambitions. For years, Pretoria has positioned itself as one of the strongest advocates of African integration. It has championed freer trade, regional cooperation and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which seeks to create a single market across the continent. Those ambitions were on full display during Ruto’s state visit. Both governments spoke enthusiastically about expanding trade, increasing investment and strengthening cooperation between East and Southern Africa. Yet at the same time, South Africa is introducing labour migration quotas, tightening border controls and intensifying deportations. The contradiction has not gone unnoticed elsewhere on the continent. Elijah Mwangi, an award-winning Kenyan business journalist, said many Kenyans struggle to reconcile South Africa’s integration agenda with recurring anti-foreigner tensions. “When South Africa officially lifted visa requirements for Kenyans travelling with ordinary passports in 2023, many Kenyans interpreted this as deepened bilateral cooperation between the two states and so many don’t understand why a country that lifted visa requirements would turn against the same people when they visit South Africa,” he said. While many welcomed Ramaphosa’s decision to engage African governments, scepticism remains. “For many Kenyans, Ramaphosa’s statement is more of political rhetoric, unless the safety concerns are well taken care of this time,” Mwangi said. More importantly, he argued that migration has become intertwined with the continent’s broader economic ambitions. “The migration question must be addressed because it actually presents itself as the first technical barrier to trade.” The observation speaks directly to the discussions that took place in Pretoria only days before Ramaphosa’s address. At the state visit and business forum,