JOHANNESBURG - Cabinet has condemned the spread of fake videos and images falsely claiming to show attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.
Speaking during a media briefing on Tuesday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni warned that such material is not only fake but also intended to undermine South Africa's international reputation.
Ntshavheni said while South Africans are within their right to protest against the spiralling illegal immigration challenge, violence linked to those protests cannot be accepted.
“Law enforcement must deal with the instigators of such violence,” she said.
Her comments come as civil groups such as March and March Movement led protests in parts of the country demanding the deportation of undocumented individuals.
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In April, the movement moved its clean-up operations from Durban to Gauteng, as they marched through the streets of Pretoria and Johannesburg to voice their concerns about undocumented foreign nationals in the country.
The growing number of foreign nationals has further fuelled concerns that their presence is squeezing the local economy and limiting opportunities for South Africans.
Similar protests were also witnessed in KuGompo in the Eastern Cape. Their demonstration came after the controversial coronation of a Nigerian national as King of East London.
Scenes ultimately turned violent when several people were injured, vehicles torched, and businesses looted.
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Ntshavheni condemned what she called opportunistic attempts to hijack the genuine concerns of South Africans about high unemployment and limited economic opportunities by mobilising South Africans to destabilise the country, including mobilising attacks on foreign nationals and tribal mobilisation.
“Cabinet reiterated that there is ongoing work to address the problem of illegal immigration, which includes the strengthening of border management through the work of the BMA, speeding up deportations, dealing with criminality within the émigré communities, and protecting jobs and opportunities for South Africans,” she added.