Source: President of South Africa –
Master of Ceremonies, Prof. Nick Binedell, Founder of GIBS Business School,
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe,
Mrs Gugu Motlanthe, Executive Trustee, The Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation,
Business associates, Delegates, Colleagues Good Morning,
I am honoured to join you today at this year’s Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation Winter Seminar.
Let me start by emphasising the importance of this seminar, particularly in light of the current situation that confronts our country. The migration-related challenges facing South Africa today require spaces like this seminar to debate and reflect on difficult questions honestly, respectfully and constructively.
Indeed, the current wave of discussions around migration, border management, social cohesion, economic competition, and public service delivery has generated intense public debate. The issues we confront are complex, perspectives are firmly held, and emotions often run deep. That is why platforms such as this are essential to fostering meaningful dialogue.
We have not gathered here to impose predetermined answers or reinforce existing positions. The objective should be about providing a platform for deliberate engagement, fruitful discourse, and critical thinking. We are as much here to listen as to speak, to question as to advocate, and to seek to understand rather than easy conclusions.
Migration is not something new.
People throughout human history have moved in search of safety, opportunity, family reunification, and a better future. At the same time, migration has often raised legitimate questions about governance, resource allocation, identity, and social integration.
South Africa’s history is characterised by movement, displacement, and the struggle for human dignity, as well as a deep need for solidarity and the experience of exclusion. The birth of our constitutional democracy was rooted in the commitment to human rights, equality, and the recognition of our common humanity.
However, it would be disingenuous to ignore the brutal realities faced by many communities. High levels of poverty, unemployment and inequality continue to put significant stress on households and communities. Jobs, housing, education, health care and other public services are often scarce commodities and the feeling that they are not available to all fuel’s exclusionary politics. In such contexts, migrants are likely to be the target of wider frustrations associated with structural socio-economic problems.
This reality requires us to bring honesty and nuance to the migration debate. On the one hand, we must resist simple narratives that seek to blame migrants for all our social and economic problems. Such perspectives ignore the complexities of our developmental problems and are likely to increase intolerance and social division.
On the other hand, we need to recognise the legitimate concerns of communities about the effective management of immigration, border security, the regulation of labour markets and the capacity of public institutions.
To dismiss these fears is not to forge social cohesion but to undermine public trust. The challenge before us is not whether to choose between security and humanity or national interests and human rights. The real challenge is to implement policies that simultaneously promote all these objectives.
This means that decisions about policy should be based on facts, not on feelings. Effective and fair migration management requires strong institutions. It urges African nations to collaborate to address migration drivers like conflict, political instability, unemployment, inequality, and climate change.
Most importantly it requires an acceptance that migration cannot be considered in isolation from wider development issues. The movement of people is often a symptom of deeper economic, political and social conditions. To get to sustainable, long-term solutions we really have to address those underlying drivers.
In this regard, we would do well to reflect on the words of former President Kgalema Motlanthe, who reminded us that, “…in a democratic era, I urge you to use the democratic institutions available to us to voice our grievances and demands.”
His words are particularly meaningful today. They serve as a reminder that the strength of a constitutional democracy is its ability to create space for engagement, and peaceful resolution of differences.
Your words former President Motlanthe remind us that even in disagreement we have a responsibility to talk to one another using dialogue, evidence and democratic processes rather than exclusion, intolerance or division.
The purpose of a seminar such as this is not necessarily to arrive at complete consensus. Indeed, reasonable people will disagree on many aspects of migration policy.
Our willingness to engage with one another honestly, to test our assumptions, and to deepen our collective understanding of the issues is of greater value, as it enables us to progress from rhetoric to practical solutions.
Speaking of solutions, what we need to understand is that the migration challenge confronting South Africa cannot be addressed through South African solutions alone. Addressing this issue requires solutions that are specifically tailored to the realities of Africa.
It is not feasible or sustainable to consider migration only from a national perspective. We need to strengthen regional cooperation, step up economic integration, and work together to create opportunities across the African continent.
We must recognise that the prosperity and stability of one African nation are intrinsically linked to the prosperity and stability of others.
As Africans, we share a common history, a common destiny, and, increasingly, common challenges. The question before us is not simply how South Africa manages migration but how Africa creates the conditions under which migration becomes a matter of choice rather than necessity.
In this regard, I am reminded of the words of Kwame Nkrumah, who once said, “It is in our hands to join our strength, taking sustenance from our diversity, honouring our rich and varied traditions and cultures, but acting together for the protection and benefit of us all.”
The words are no less true today than they were when first uttered. They remind us that the challenges facing our continent cannot be met by countries acting in isolation. They require collective thinking, collective leadership, and collective action.
Our challenge is to look beyond narrow national responses and toward a continental conversation based on solidarity, shared responsibility, and a commitment to inclusive development. Only then will we have the chance to develop solutions that are effective and sustainable and just.
In the current context, it is for the benefit of our great continent, Africa, that we come together to examine the issue of migration into South Africa not merely as a South African challenge but as an African challenge.
South Africa has seen a rising trend in migration from various African nations, especially from Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, and Malawi. The migration is caused by economic opportunities, political and governance issues, environmental factors and persistent family and cultural links across borders.
This reality presents the critical question: how do we as leaders and citizens of the SADC region work together to address the conditions that compel people to leave their countries of origin?
How do we grow our economies, deepen regional integration, and create opportunities that allow our people to thrive in their own communities if they want to?
SADC member states must take the first step by increasing cooperation, having honest conversations about economic development, youth unemployment, governance, skills mobility and regional investment. It is important to tackle the root causes of migration, not just migration management.
Let me put it very clearly: South Africa remains committed to the ideals of Pan-Africanism, and we continue to welcome our brothers and sisters from across the continent. Our history is a reminder of the importance of solidarity, and we thank many African countries who stood with us in our struggle for freedom.
However, social cohesion and public confidence in migration require a legal and orderly framework. We need to have proper and secure management of the migration flows, processing documentation efficiently, protecting the rights of migrants and enforcing immigration laws fairly and consistently.
We should therefore not look to divide Africans or create animosity towards migrants. Rather, our objective should be to build a migration system that is humane, well-managed, and responsive to the legitimate concerns of both host communities and migrants themselves.
We will not build the future we seek through isolation but through partnership; not through blame but through cooperation; not through division but through a shared commitment to building a prosperous, stable, and integrated Africa. Only then can migration become a source of opportunity rather than a source of tension.
The question often asked is: What is the South African Police Service or Government doing to combat illegal immigration and to manage the tensions arising from migration-related protests?
Government continues to strengthen migration management through coordinated efforts involving the South African Police Service, the Department of Home Affairs and the Border Management Authority. These interventions include enforcement operations, improved border management and stronger action against immigration-related criminal activity.
While citizens have the constitutional right to protest peacefully, the enforcement of immigration laws remains the responsibility of the State. This reflects a core value of our constitutional democracy: worries about illegal immigration are legitimate issues for public debate and government action, but they must be addressed lawfully and democratically, not through vigilante justice or hostility toward migrants.
SAPS has ensured a visible presence at demonstrations around migration to prevent the occurrence of violence, intimidation, vigilantism and attacks against foreign nationals.
We need to assist law enforcement agencies in carrying out their duties and address the root causes of migration through regional cooperation, economic development, and stronger partnerships among SADC member states.
In the end, secure borders, effective migration management and African solidarity are not mutually exclusive goals, but complementary pillars of a stable and prosperous region.
We South Africans know that the strength of any democracy is not in the absence of disagreement, but in its ability to work through disagreement constructively. Only through dialogue based on our common belief in human dignity and guided by evidence can we find just and sustainable solutions.
Let me conclude by stating this: South Africans are not inherently xenophobic; they are a welcoming and Pan-Africanist people. Our country remains open to legal immigrants.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In the spirit of Kwame Nkrumah’s call for collective action, and in the spirit of Kgalema Motlanthe’s enduring faith in democratic engagement, let’s continue the conversation with open minds, mutual respect and a shared determination to create a better future for all.
I have no doubt that the discussions that will unfold here today will contribute meaningfully to our national and continental conversation on migration, social cohesion, and the future we seek to build together.
I wish you a successful seminar and productive discussions.
I Thank You, Inkomu.