Presidency Condemns Anti-Illegal Immigration Campaigns, Says They Harm South Africa's Reputation

• The South African Presidency condemned campaigns targeting illegal immigrants, calling them a threat to the country's standing on the continent
• Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the cabinet rejected such campaigns and flagged the spread of false information by diplomatic representatives
• The Presidency warned that any campaign seeking to misrepresent South Africa would be met with contempt

SOUTH AFRICA - The South African Presidency has come out strongly against anti-illegal immigration movements, saying such campaigns distort the country's image and threaten its relationship with the rest of Africa.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya delivered the statement on behalf of cabinet, making clear that the government had taken note of the growing movement with serious concern. He said the campaigns were being rejected with the strongest possible disapproval.

SA Presidency speaks out

According to Magwenya, the campaigns do more than stir local tensions. He said they actively work to drive a wedge between South Africa and the broader African continent, something cabinet views as deeply damaging. The protests seen across the country, he added, reflect exactly that isolationist intent.

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The Presidency also raised alarm over what it described as a deliberate effort to paint South Africa as a rogue state deserving international scrutiny. Campaigners, Magwenya said, have pushed the narrative that South Africa should be referred to international courts, even as the government has on record condemned acts of vigilantism carried out against foreign nationals.

False information at the centre of the campaign

What concerned cabinet most, the spokesperson noted, was the role played by diplomatic representatives in spreading misinformation. Magwenya said that even routine diplomatic engagements had been twisted and misrepresented to suggest that South Africa was being shut out by the international community.

The Presidency pushed back firmly on that characterisation. Magwenya made clear that any campaign built on distorting South Africa's position would receive nothing but contempt from government.

The statement signals that the Presidency intends to defend South Africa's reputation actively, both on the continent and on the global stage.

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See video from the Presidency here:

Presidency warns African nations against retaliation

Briefly News reported that the Presidency cautioned African governments against taking retaliatory action against South African companies operating on the continent, warning that such moves would ultimately harm the economies of the host nations themselves. Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya issued the warning in Pretoria on Wednesday, amid growing concerns about potential backlash linked to recent South African protests against illegal immigration. Magwenya argued that any attempt to appropriate South African assets would send a damaging signal to the broader investment community.

Source: Briefly News