JOHANNESBURG, June 5 (Xinhua) -- South Africa will not experience a "national shutdown" despite threats by anti-immigration groups to stage one at the end of the month, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said on Friday, assuring the public that the government is fully addressing the situation.
Briefing the media following a cabinet meeting in Pretoria, Ntshavheni said the cabinet has approved a comprehensive approach to managing migration, including the adoption of a National Action Plan.
South Africa is currently experiencing escalating anti-immigration demonstrations. Organizers of the protests argue that undocumented migration contributes to local crime and places excessive pressure on public infrastructure, forcing citizens to compete for limited healthcare services and school placements.
Looming over the unrest is the June 30 deadline set by the anti-immigration groups, which are demanding the immediate departure of all undocumented foreigners. They have threatened to stage a nationwide shutdown if the government fails to initiate mass deportations.
Addressing rumors of an imminent and disruptive strike, Ntshavheni firmly rejected any attempts to destabilize the country.
"There is nobody who is going to execute a shutdown of this country, and we must be very clear about that," she said.
"South Africans have the right to protest and march as provided for by the Constitution, but they have no right to take the law into their own hands," the minister added.
Recent violence linked to the protests has already resulted in fatalities. This has prompted several African countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi and Mozambique, to issue safety advisories and facilitate the evacuation or voluntary repatriation of their citizens.
The government's strategy is expected to reinforce structural reforms in immigration enforcement. This aligns with the recent approval of the National Labor Migration Policy White Paper, which proposes strict sector-based hiring quotas for foreign nationals to help address South Africa's persistently high unemployment rate.
South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, consistently exceeding 30 percent. In impoverished townships and informal settlements, competition for scarce jobs, housing and social services frequently fuels resentment toward foreign nationals.
