‘No country can succeed in isolation’- International relations minister addresses immigration debate
· Citizen
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has called for Africa‑wide solidarity, warning that irregular migration, youth unemployment, and mounting debt are pressing challenges that demand collective solutions.
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Lamola delivered the opening remarks at the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) pre‑budget vote symposium in Cape Town on Monday.
Lamola framed freedom as a continental responsibility, urging responsible diplomacy, stronger regional cooperation, and credible governance at home to ensure Africa asserts its agency in shaping the global order.
Migration
With the current crisis surrounding foreign nationals in South Africa, Lamola placed migration at the centre of his remarks, warning against violence and scapegoating while stressing the need for lawful, humane management.
“No grievance, however legitimate, can justify violence, scapegoating or attacks on people based on their nationality,” Lamola said, making clear that irregular migration must be addressed through law enforcement rather than vigilante action.
SA major host
He emphasised that migration itself is not the problem.
“South Africa remains a major host country for migrants from across southern Africa and from as far afield as the Horn of Africa, Europe and Asia.
“When properly managed, it can contribute to regional development. No country is an island, and no country can succeed in isolation,” Lamola said.
Continental responsibility
Lamola stressed that freedom itself is a continental responsibility.
“2026 is a year of major milestones in our national life. We mark 70 years since the historic Women’s March to the Union Buildings, 50 years since the 1976 youth uprising and 30 years since the adoption of our Constitution.
“Each of these moments reminds us that freedom in South Africa was never achieved in isolation. It was carried by workers, women, young people, communities and by the peoples of our continent, who understood that the defeat of apartheid was a continental responsibility,” Lamola said.
Economic diplomacy
Lamola added that Pretoria’s economic diplomacy is yielding results, including in agriculture.
“In 2025, South Africa’s agricultural exports reached a record 15.1 billion US dollars. In the first quarter of 2026, farm exports reached 3.7 billion US dollars, an increase of 11 percent year on year.”
Lamola said these exports reach markets across Africa, the European Union, Asia and the Middle East and show how foreign policy can support jobs and economic opportunity at home.