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The government has assured the nation that no one will destabilise the country amid calls for foreign nationals to leave South Africa by June 30.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni addressed speculation about a possible shutdown and ultimatums issued to foreign nationals to leave South Africa by the end of the month.
“There’s nobody who’s going to do a shutdown of this country. We must be very clear about that,” Ntshavheni said during a media briefing on the outcomes of Wednesday’s cabinet meeting.
Her remarks come amid tensions with some protest groups calling for foreigners to leave the country or face consequences.
Ntshavheni reiterated that while South Africans have a constitutional right to protest, any form of lawlessness would not be tolerated.
“South Africans have the right to protest … but they have no right to take the law into their own hands,” she said.
She indicated that law enforcement agencies, including the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints), are closely monitoring the situation. However, she declined to reveal details about those behind the protests, saying doing so could compromise ongoing operations.
Ntshavheni said the government has been working on a co-ordinated and long-term approach to migration, involving departments across the criminal justice cluster.
“This is work that has been ongoing for some time … but we will leave the details of this comprehensive approach to be outlined by the president,” she said.
She added that departments such as labour have conducted joint inspections as part of efforts to enforce compliance.
The government promised further details after the president addresses the nation, with officials from the justice cluster and Natjoints set to respond to media queries.
TimesLIVE
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