Ramaphosa warns against vigilantism ahead of June 30 protests: ‘No one is above the law’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stern warning against vigilantism ahead of nationwide protests planned for Tuesday, June 30, saying immigration enforcement must remain a state responsibility and that the Constitution, not intimidation, should determine how rights are exercised.

Message from the Presidency

In his weekly newsletter released by the Presidency on Monday, Ramaphosa acknowledged public frustration over illegal immigration but said concerns must be addressed through “constitutional and legal processes rather than intimidation or mob justice.”

Rule of law and accountability

Ramaphosa said:

“The exercise of rights by any citizen in a constitutional democracy cannot be determined by intimidation, threats, or ultimatums. It must be determined through democratic institutions, evidence, and the rule of law.”

He noted that the government has accepted shortcomings in the immigration system and is taking steps to reform it.

“The government has accepted that our immigration system requires substantial reform. We are strengthening border management, increasing enforcement against undocumented immigration, improving the integrity of the asylum and visa systems, and taking action against corruption that has weakened immigration control,”

Ramaphosa said.

The President added:

“Where corruption has enabled illegal immigration, those responsible must be held accountable. Where enforcement has been inadequate, it must improve.”

Historic parallels and a warning on private policing

Ramaphosa drew a direct comparison between modern-day vigilantism and the apartheid-era pass laws, stressing that demanding identification and enforcing immigration laws are powers that belong to government law-enforcement officers acting within the Constitution. He said:

“The painful history of the pass laws reminds us why the authority to demand identification and enforce immigration laws belongs to government law-enforcement officers acting within the Constitution, not to private individuals. Whatever the motivation, taking the law into one’s own hands is vigilantism and has no place in our constitutional democracy.”

He described attempts by civilians to police immigration status as

“vigilantism thinly disguised in the language of patriotism”

and warned they could revive practices from a painful chapter of history:

“We must never allow ourselves to return to that painful chapter of our history where people were stopped on the street, had their physical identities scrutinised, and their right to move freely in the country hindered by suspicion and humiliation.”

Protections for lawfully resident foreign nationals

Ramaphosa emphasised the state’s constitutional obligation to protect foreign nationals who are lawfully living in South Africa. He said:

“Some foreign nationals who live in South Africa are here lawfully. They work, study, raise families, invest in our economy and contribute positively to our society. They, too, are entitled to the protection of our laws and our Constitution.”

Engagement and expectations for protesters

The President said the government had engaged with a broad range of stakeholders in recent weeks and welcomed assurances from some protest organisers that they would discourage violence. He warned those assurances would be scrutinised and that peaceful demonstrations must be conducted within the law.

“We welcome the assurances by some of the organisers of the planned protests that they stand against violence on the part of their supporters. They will be held to this undertaking, because no cause, no matter how legitimate, will be an excuse to shift responsibility for violent acts,”

Ramaphosa said.

Appeal for unity, restraint and respect for the Constitution

With law enforcement agencies on heightened alert ahead of the demonstrations, Ramaphosa concluded by urging South Africans to choose law, dialogue and justice over lawlessness and division. He said:

“Throughout our history, we have overcome difficult moments not through fear or division, but by choosing law over lawlessness, dialogue over confrontation and justice over vengeance. Let us once again choose that path. Let us protect both our borders and our Constitution, both our security and our humanity. We are capable of doing both, and we must.”