Today, together with a broad coalition of faith-based organisations, we met with His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to discuss the migration challenges facing our nation.
As the Church, we reject both xenophobia and lawlessness. We stand with communities experiencing genuine hardship, and with vulnerable individuals and families who have been displaced, threatened, or harmed. Every person bears inherent dignity and deserves to be treated with respect.
At the same time, we are concerned by the growing trend of citizens assuming functions that belong to the state—conducting patrols, demanding identification documents, questioning access to public services, and attempting to enforce immigration laws.
While communities have legitimate concerns about crime, illegal immigration, and the rule of law, the solution is not vigilantism. South Africans should never feel compelled to perform the duties of police officers, immigration officials, labour inspectors, or the courts.
When citizens begin doing the work of the state, it often reflects a decline in public confidence in government’s ability to enforce the law. The answer is not taking the law into our own hands. The answer is a capable state that enforces the law consistently, fairly, transparently, and without fear or favour.
A strong society requires both responsible citizens and effective government. We therefore call on government to strengthen law enforcement, secure our borders, uphold the rule of law, and protect the rights and dignity of all who live within our country.
South Africa is at its best when justice, compassion, accountability, and the rule of law work together.