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South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, has said that President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned xenophobia and directed law enforcement agencies to act against individuals and groups taking the law into their own hands.
Lamola stated this in an exclusive interview with News Central TV, while addressing tensions surrounding migration and attacks involving foreign nationals in South Africa.
South Africa’s International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says President Cyril Ramaphosa has made it clear that the country rejects xenophobia and will not tolerate individuals taking the law into their own hands.
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— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) July 29, 2026
“He was very clear that South Africans are not xenophobic. He condemned any form of xenophobia. He called for law enforcement to arrest any group or anyone involved in taking the law into their own hands,” Lamola said.
“He was very clear, and he sent a message, and the law enforcement understood the message. They acted on it. People are being arrested, and people were being arrested.”
Lamola said South Africa remains committed to pan-Africanism despite being one of the continent’s major migrant-receiving countries, adding that migration should be treated as a shared responsibility.
“So that is the message that he said. He was also very clear that we remain pan-Africanist in the country, that this issue of migration, because we are one of the highest receiving countries, should be a shared responsibility,” he said.
Addressing concerns that political interests ahead of elections could be limiting the government’s response, Lamola acknowledged that some groups and political parties exploit migration-related issues.
“There are groups, obviously, that do exploit this situation. Not only groups, but also political parties,” he said.
“But we as the government have been very clear that there is no room for any illegality. The enforcement of immigration laws, it is the responsibility of the state and that is what the state should do. And no individuals, private groups or anyone.”
He stressed that electoral considerations should not affect the enforcement of the law.
“And even when there are elections in any country, when they are coming or not, the laws must still be respected, and they must continuously be enforced.”
Lamola also rejected suggestions that the African National Congress (ANC) was preventing Ramaphosa from taking action against South Africans involved in xenophobic activities.
“The President’s party is the ANC, and the ANC respects the rule of law and the constitution of the Republic of South Africa,” he said.
“And they will not tell the President not to criticise this. He has been very clear, and that’s what I’m saying. You will see that he was very clear in the condemnation of any form of individuals taking the law into their own hands.”
He reiterated that immigration laws must be enforced by authorised state agencies rather than individuals.
“In Immigration laws, according to our law, must be enforced by the law enforcement officials and not individuals,” Lamola said.
However, he said the South African government had also acknowledged concerns among citizens about some migrant communities, while stressing that such concerns did not justify violence.
Lamola cited the inauguration of an Igbo king in the Eastern Cape and alleged cases involving Nigerian nationals as some of the issues that had generated public concern.
“We have also conveyed the issues that are an irritation to the South African public…one of those issues was the inauguration of the Igbo King in KuGompo…”
South Africa’s International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says Nigeria and South Africa have agreed to ease… pic.twitter.com/o6TBvvFa2I
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) July 29, 2026
“One of those issues was the inauguration of the Igbo King in KuGompo in the Eastern Cape, the hijacking of buildings by some of the Nigerian nationals, and including putting areas, communities, and making them no-go areas, even for South Africans.”
He specifically cited communities in Tshwane, also known as Pretoria, and Johannesburg.
“And such community happens to exist in Tshwane, or what we call Pretoria, in Sunnyside, where there is a community. And there is also another community in Hebron in Johannesburg.”
Asked whether these were allegations or whether such communities actually existed, Lamola was emphatic.
“Yes, it’s not allegations; they exist, they are there. Yes, even South Africans cannot go into those areas. They are no-go areas.
“Only Nigerian nationals can go into those areas. And these issues are a huge issue of public concern to South Africans,” he added.
He also pointed to concerns over alleged drug trafficking and clashes involving some Nigerian nationals and law enforcement officers.
“Issues of drug peddling: there is a number of Nigerian nationals in our court system arrested, and some of them, when they are arrested, they are also very violent and against the law enforcement officers.”
Lamola said the concerns require cooperation between South Africa and Nigeria, particularly where issues involve the Nigerian community.
“So these are some of the issues that we have raised as a concern, and that we need to work together.”
He cited the inauguration of the Igbo king as an example of an issue that required diplomatic intervention.
“But as you have heard, the issues sometimes do need collaboration and coordination, like the one that relates to the inauguration of the King.”
“It did need the High Commissioner of Nigeria to work with the South African government to de-escalate the situation.”
Lamola said both countries had subsequently agreed to reduce tensions in their public discourse while preserving their longstanding relationship.
“So we have agreed to de-escalate the current public rhetoric between South Africa and Nigeria on a number of issues, including the xenophobia, but also to reaffirm the long-standing bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa.”
