‘SA is not xenophobic’: Ramaphosa hits back amid rising tensions

President Cyril Ramaphosa is pushing back against claims that South Africa is xenophobic, dismissing such labels as “lazy” as tensions over migration continue to simmer. The presidency says concerns about undocumented foreign nationals must be addressed without painting the country with a broad brush. The remarks come against a backdrop of growing anti-migrant rhetoric and protests, some of which have turned violent in the past. With immigration fast becoming a political flashpoint, the debate over jobs, service delivery and social cohesion is intensifying. Phemelo speaks to International Relations Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri.