Lamola moves to quell xenophobia claims after WHO’s Ghebreyesus raises alarm
· Citizen
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has moved to clarify reports of xenophobic violence after a high‑level teleconference with World Health Organisation (WHO) Director‑General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Lamola stressed that the recent killings are linked to organised crime and not xenophobia, and vowed that perpetrators will face the full force of the law.
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On Monday, Ghebreyesus condemned the latest wave of xenophobic threats in South Africa, describing it as a “tragic betrayal of the country’s historic struggle for freedom and justice”.
Anti-illegal immigrant protests
In recent weeks, anti-illegal immigrant protests across several provinces in South Africa have escalated to the point of requiring police intervention after demonstrators began openly threatening the safety of foreign nationals and their property.
In a statement posted on X, Ghebreyesus said he was deeply saddened by reports of renewed attacks targeting foreign nationals, which have reportedly left several people dead, displaced thousands of families and forced many others to flee to safety.
“It is profoundly heartbreaking to witness another surge of xenophobic violence in South Africa this week. Hundreds have marched on parliament, thousands of families have been displaced, and lives have been tragically cut short.
“These include at least five Ethiopians killed earlier in the attacks, and five Mozambicans who died in Mossel Bay. Thousands more are now fleeing for their lives,” Ghebreyesus said.
Concerns
Lamola said he and Ghebreyesus had a “constructive and cordial” teleconference to discuss concerns around xenophobia in South Africa.
“On the specifics of Dr Tedros’ tweet, we clarified that the tragic deaths of five Ethiopian nationals are linked to organised crime within the Ethiopian community in SA, rather than xenophobic violence.
“Regarding Mozambican nationals, we noted that reports of five deaths are inaccurate; at least two have been confirmed, and Saps [South African Police Service] is investigating these murders with the utmost seriousness,” Lamola said.
SA values
Lamola said he made it “clear” that these incidents do not reflect the values or position of the South African government.
“Those responsible will face the full force of the law, as will anyone exploiting migration concerns to advance political, personal, or criminal agendas. We also acknowledged that irregular migration is a real challenge for SA, one that must be managed humanely and within the framework of the law.
“We further agreed that addressing the challenges of migration in South Africa is a collective responsibility in the African continent that needs to address the root causes of the challenge, including the push and pull factors,” Lamola said.
Alarm
On Sunday, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration sounded the alarm over a surge of fake videos and manipulated images flooding digital platforms, warning that disinformation is being weaponised to incite violence, drive xenophobic attacks and destabilise communities nationwide.
It said significant strides have been made in implementing the interventions outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his recent national address, but it raised concerns about the “false narrative” portraying South Africa as inherently xenophobic or hostile to foreign nationals.
It added that beyond sowing domestic division, these “malicious campaigns are deliberately orchestrated to damage South Africa’s hard‑earned international reputation”.