PRETORIA—South Africa’s president has taken a sharp swipe at anti-migrant riots, and in a move that will raise eyebrows in Whitehall, held up the UK’s border system as a gold standard. Cyril Ramaphosa’s remarks come as tension spikes in Johannesburg, with locals blaming foreign nationals for crime and unemployment.
The backlash is no surprise. South Africa’s porous borders are a running sore. But Ramaphosa’s nod to the British model? That’s new. It signals a shift in thinking inside the Pretoria power bloc. The question is: can Ramaphosa sell it to his own party?
Inside the ANC, factions are split. The left wing, historically sympathetic to pan-Africanism, views border enforcement as xenophobic. But with polls showing public anger, Ramaphosa is betting on a hardline stance. His praise for the UK’s system—a combination of digital checks and swift removal for failed asylum seekers—is a direct rebuke to the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters, who call for open borders.
Downing Street will be quietly thrilled. The UK has been pushing its post-Brexit immigration model as a global standard. For Ramaphosa to endorse it is a diplomatic coup. But backbenchers in Westminster may be less keen—especially those who see the UK’s own system as inhumane.
The South African violence is a powder keg. Twelve people have died in the past week. Ramaphosa’s speech, delivered in Pretoria this morning, was blunt: “We cannot allow lawlessness. Our borders must be secure. The United Kingdom has shown that it is possible to manage migration with dignity and efficiency.”
Expect Ramaphosa to face a vote of confidence in the coming months. The ANC’s internal divisions are deepening. But tonight, he has the upper hand. The question is how long it lasts.
