South Africa pushed back on Wednesday against accusations of xenophobia following a wave of protests targeting undocumented migrants.
The government said broader issues such as instability and poor governance across the continent were driving migration.
Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told reporters that “South Africans are not xenophobic.” He described recent incidents as isolated protests permitted under the country’s constitutional framework.
Fresh demonstrations has seen hundreds marched in the eastern city of Durban and other centres, calling on authorities to act against undocumented migrants operating small businesses. Similar protests in recent months have also sought to restrict access by undocumented foreigners to public healthcare facilities.
The unrest has drawn concern from Nigeria and Ghana, both of which have raised alarm over alleged attacks on their nationals. Nigeria has announced emergency repatriation flights, while Ghana summoned South Africa’s envoy in April over reported incidents.
Following talks on Tuesday between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mozambican President Daniel Chapo, both leaders agreed that African nations must work together to address the root causes of migration, including conflict, instability and governance challenges.
Magwenya said labelling the situation as xenophobia was a “lazy” assessment that risked unfairly maligning the country.