Ramaphosa says security forces ready for June 30 protests

President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the National Council of Provinces that security forces are ready to ensure the planned June 30 protests do not destabilise the country. The remarks came during a question-and-answer session in the NCOP as concerns mounted about anti-illegal immigration demonstrations scheduled for next week.

Assurances of readiness

Speaking in the NCOP, Ramaphosa said the government was implementing measures to deal with illegal immigration and to ensure that 30 June is a normal working day.

“As a government, we have put in place security and other measures to deal with any attempts to destabilise our country, whether by citizens or foreign nationals, and we will not tolerate any attempts to destabilise the country by anyone, whether marching or otherwise. Security forces are ready,”

he said.

Government action on migration and enforcement

Ramaphosa said the government is strengthening border control, policy enforcement and the asylum system, and that administrative processes are being led by the Director-General of Home Affairs, Livhuwani Makhode. He said ministers and officials are continuing work on reforms that have been under way for some time.

He added that enforcement agencies are intensifying the identification and deportation of undocumented foreign nationals, and that inspections of employers’ premises are increasing.

“The Department of Employment and Labour is recruiting 10,000 inspectors, as I announced, and will increase penalties for employers breaching the Immigration Act,”

Ramaphosa said.

Security coordination and policing plans

Concerns about the planned protests prompted Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to announce a R600 million police operation with deployments across all nine provinces. Cachalia said:

“Our message is clear, everyone has the constitutional right to protest peacefully and within the confines of the law. However, criminality, intimidation, violence, the destruction of property and any attempt to undermine public safety will not be tolerated.”

Ramaphosa said the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure is managing preparations and briefings have been held with faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, organised labour and organised business.

Who is organising the protests

More than 20 anti-migrant organisations and civil groups are reported to be behind the planned June 30 actions. The source names Operation Dudula, United South Africa and Progressive Forces of South Africa among the 27 groups involved. Leaders of one coalition, March and March, say the protest will be peaceful and have vowed there will be no violence, looting or deaths; their leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said they have support from many South Africans.

Calls for calm and collective responsibility

Ramaphosa urged lawmakers to work with security forces and government officials to take legal action where necessary, saying:

“We should take whatever action that is necessary on a legal basis, and work with our security forces and work with our government officials. This is the responsibility that we all bear.”

According to IOL, the Cabinet has approved a revised White Paper on citizenship, immigration and refugee protection to guide the government’s unified legal framework on migration, and the refugee appeal authority has recruited additional advocates as adjudicators to address asylum backlogs with support from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.