President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stark warning to vigilante groups targeting migrants, calling their actions a direct assault on the rule of law. In a televised address from the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Ramaphosa said the government will not tolerate mob justice as the country grapples with rising xenophobic violence. Sources confirm that at least five people have been killed in the past week in clashes in Johannesburg and Durban, with dozens more injured.
Uncovered documents from the South African Police Service show a spike in reports of looting and arson linked to anti-migrant sentiment. Ramaphosa’s speech came after a series of attacks on foreign-owned shops, with mobs accusing migrants of taking jobs and fuelling crime. The president announced the deployment of additional police units to hotspot areas, but critics say this is too little too late.
'The state is losing its monopoly on violence,' said a senior analyst at the Institute for Security Studies. 'When people take the law into their own hands, it’s a symptom of deeper state failure.' Ramaphosa faces mounting pressure from coalition partners and opposition parties to declare a state of emergency.
The African National Congress, already fractured by internal corruption scandals, appears paralysed. Meanwhile, the South African Human Rights Commission has condemned the attacks, calling for an immediate end to 'xenophobic rhetoric'. But the damage is done.
With unemployment above 32% and the economy in freefall, migrants are an easy scapegoat. The question now is whether Ramaphosa can restore order before the country descends further into chaos.
