Johannesburg – The Nelson Mandela Foundation has called for renewed commitment to social cohesion, constitutional democracy and the rule of law.
South Africa is bracing for heightened tension ahead of the 30 June 2026 anti-immigrant protests, with authorities warning against violence and unlawful intimidation.
The foundation called for cohesion and the rule of law on Friday, 26 June 2026, following what it said was “a strategic dialogue on migration”, co-convened with Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX) on 25 June 2026.
The dialogue brought together representatives from 14 civil society organisations,
Deliberations began with a reflection by Yitna Getachew, Chief of Mission for the International Organisation for Migration (United Nations).
The immediate context for the dialogue was growing concern around public discourse surrounding planned protest marches on 30 June.
Convening difficult conversations on democracy, justice and peace is central to the Foundation’s work.
This engagement formed part of that ongoing commitment, creating space for evidence-based dialogue.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation recognises that many South Africans are justifiably angry at the democratic state’s failure, over more than three decades, to deliver adequately on the Constitution’s imperative for societal transformation.
Increasingly, however, that anger is being directed towards people identified as unwelcome foreigners.
At a time of heightened political contestation, it is all the more important that public concerns are addressed in ways that uphold constitutional values, human dignity and the rule of law.
Among the issues highlighted during the dialogue was the importance of grounding public debate in evidence.
Reliable and publicly accessible evidence demonstrates that South Africa is not unusual in its experience of human migration.
Most countries around the world are facing similar challenges.
It also shows that South Africa’s troubles cannot be explained by immigration alone.
Multiple internal factors must be reckoned with, including spiralling urbanisation, poor town planning and local authorities hollowed out by corruption.
In 1995, Nelson Mandela responded to the earliest indications of migration and social cohesion challenges in democratic South Africa by saying publicly: “We cannot blame other people for our troubles… It saddens and angers me to see the rising hatred of foreigners.”
The foundation said those words remain a reminder that South Africa’s challenges are best addressed by confronting their root causes rather than directing blame towards those identified as outsiders.
“It is time for South Africa to take responsibility for its own troubles and to contribute meaningfully to the global challenge of human migration,” the foundation said.
“We call on South Africans to show their patriotism and their love of freedom by respecting the rule of law and rejecting incitement to violence.
“We also call on the South African state to implement the law and to meet the reasonable expectations of all those who are protected by our Constitution.”
