CAPE TOWN, Tuesday 25 August 2026 — President Cyril Ramaphosa has told the National Assembly that authorities are investigating indications that some anti-migrant sentiment and violence in South Africa may be encouraged from outside the country, as government faces scrutiny over its handling of migration and recent repatriations.
Responding to questions in Parliament of South Africa on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said government was not ruling out external involvement in efforts to portray South Africa as being in conflict with other African countries.
He said authorities were following leads concerning the roles played by people inside South Africa as well as individuals or interests outside the country. Ramaphosa did not publicly identify the alleged external actors or provide evidence establishing their involvement.
The comments came in response to a question from the Economic Freedom Fighters during the President’s quarterly question session.
EFF leader Julius Malema pressed Ramaphosa on when arrests could be expected in connection with people accused of encouraging violence.
Ramaphosa said police were investigating threats and attempting to establish the roles of those involved. He did not give a timetable for arrests.
The President said South Africa was being closely watched over its response to the migration crisis, which has seen close to 90,000 undocumented migrants leave the country since May. He said other African governments also believed that some of the anti-migrant mobilisation was being encouraged from outside South Africa.
His comments represent a significant development from the Presidency’s pre-session statement, which said Ramaphosa would update MPs on government’s management of migration and related protest action but did not disclose the claim of possible external involvement.
The issue has taken on additional political and diplomatic significance after recent anti-immigrant mobilisation and violence led tens of thousands of foreign nationals, particularly from neighbouring African countries, to leave South Africa.
Parliament is separately examining the financial consequences of the repatriation operation. Home Affairs officials told MPs that expenditure associated with the operation had approached R400 million, leaving the department’s inspectorate about R220 million over budget.
Ramaphosa told MPs that migration could not be addressed by South Africa alone and required regional and continental cooperation.
Any evidence supporting the President’s claim of external instigation, and whether investigations result in arrests or prosecutions, will be central to establishing whether the unrest was coordinated beyond South Africa’s borders or principally driven by domestic actors.
