South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the Dudula organisations rising against the employment of foreigners in the country.
Locals in South Africa have attacked undocumented foreigners in the country for more than a month now, as they accuse them of taking most jobs and setting up businesses.
Ramaphosa also condemned employers giving out jobs to undocumented foreigners and said they are also law breakers.
The President was speaking at the Human Rights Day rally in Koster in the North West of the country.
He said the Dudula campaigns create social tension and condemned vigilantism. Ramaphosa also called for wisdom in dealing with the issues.
“Those who are setting up organisations such as Dudula, we say that is contravening the law.
“We cannot allow a situation where people embark on vigilantism to deal with a problem, a social problem.
“Let us work together; it is sensitive because this thing can soon turn into xenophobia and you know how the continent can turn its back on us.
“We rely on this continent of 1.3-billion people for our business, imports and livelihoods and therefore, as we deal with the problem, let us be wise, let us be not violent.”
Ramaphosa said being at war with other Africans is “un-South African” and added that the high unemployment in the country is no basis for attacks on foreign immigrants.
“We have always had people from other countries. The mining industry, as we know it, was developed and built not only by South Africans but also by workers from other countries such as Mozambique, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zambia and eSwatini. They all participated.”
He warned against promoting xenophobia while he appealed to employers to abstain from giving jobs to undocumented foreigners.