JOHANNESBURG, June 4 - South Africa will dispatch envoys to nations across Africa and to other parts of the world after a number of xenophobic attacks directed at immigrants from other African countries, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.
Ramaphosa delivered the announcement at a press briefing held after talks with Kenyan President William Ruto at the seat of South Africa's government in Pretoria. He said the envoys will be tasked with engaging other countries and key stakeholders on migration issues.
"There will be envoys, yes, there will be people that we will send around not only on the continent but also around the world," Ramaphosa said. He added: "What we seek to do is to get the issue of migration ... properly addressed, ... we should get as many key role players, countries ... to work together."
According to the president, migration was one of the topics touched on during his discussions with President Ruto. Ramaphosa reiterated that the South African government is taking steps to address the matter.
"As South Africa, we are addressing this matter," Ramaphosa told reporters. "And I explained that South Africans are not xenophobic. South Africans are Africans. They want to live with other Africans peacefully."
Context and implications
Ramaphosa framed the envoy initiative as part of a broader effort to bring countries and other stakeholders together to confront migration challenges in an organized way. The statement followed bilateral talks in Pretoria between the South African and Kenyan presidents, where migration featured among the subjects discussed.
The president's remarks emphasized both a diplomatic response - through the deployment of envoys - and a public reassurance about South Africans' intentions toward migrants from the continent.
Summary
South Africa will send envoys to other African countries and beyond to address migration issues following a series of xenophobic attacks targeting immigrants from other African nations, President Cyril Ramaphosa said after talks with Kenyan President William Ruto in Pretoria. Ramaphosa stressed the need for collective engagement on migration and asserted that South Africans are not xenophobic, expressing a desire for peaceful coexistence with other Africans.