Tackle Migration Roots, Not Scapegoats- Lamola
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, has urged African leaders to adopt a constructive approach to addressing migration across the continent, cautioning against using the issue to single out South Africa amid growing concerns over anti-immigrant violence.
His remarks come after President John Dramani Mahama called on the African Union (AU) to place the issue of migration-related violence in South Africa on its agenda, describing the attacks as an escalating concern that requires urgent continental attention.The debate has also intensified following a petition filed by two Ghanaian nationals at the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking an investigation into what they describe as repeated xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa.
Responding to the developments during an inter-ministerial media briefing in Pretoria on Sunday July 26, Lamola rejected suggestions that South Africa should be portrayed as the source of the continent’s migration challenges, describing such accusations as unhelpful and politically motivated. He maintained that discussions at the AU level should focus on finding lasting solutions rather than assigning blame. “This debate that is being called by Ghana should not be a debate of finger-pointing and cheap political scoring against South Africa because it will not be helpful,” Lamola said.
He stressed that migration is a complex continental issue driven by deep-rooted socioeconomic and governance challenges affecting many African countries. According to the minister, weak economic growth, widespread unemployment, insecurity, governance deficits, and the growing impact of climate change continue to force many Africans to leave their home countries in search of better opportunities elsewhere.
“It should be a constructive engagement on migration. The root causes are the economic challenges that the continent faces, the challenges of lack of economic growth, unemployment, and so forth happening across the continent, and issues of governance, peace and security that lead people to leave their own countries, including issues of climate change,” he said.
The exchange reflects growing diplomatic attention on migration and the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa, where periodic anti-immigrant violence has sparked concern among several African governments. While Ghana has called for stronger continental action to address the attacks, South Africa insists that the broader conversation should focus on tackling the underlying drivers of migration across Africa rather than assigning blame to individual countries.
The issue is expected to feature prominently in future discussions within the African Union as member states seek coordinated responses to migration, economic inequality, and regional security challenges.
Source: SABC News
Author: Joyce Owusu
