Lamola Warns Against "Naming and Shaming" Approach as AU Executive Council Declines to Discuss South Africa-Specific Motion
By Frans Sello waga Machate I Pretoria, South Africa
PRETORIA — South Africa has pushed back against Ghana's attempt to place the issue of xenophobia in South Africa on the agenda of the African Union's upcoming mid-term review meeting, with Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola arguing that migration challenges must be addressed comprehensively at a continental level rather than through a "naming and shaming" approach.
Following a decision by the 49th Ordinary Session of the AU's Executive Council not to discuss migration at the upcoming AU mid-term review meeting, South Africa reaffirmed its support for the long-standing decision of the AU to convene a continent-wide conference on migration. The 25th AU Assembly, held in Johannesburg in 2015, called for an African migration conference to consider approaches to accelerate mobility and development within the continent while addressing challenges posed by increased irregular migration.
"We raised our view that any discussion on this matter must be comprehensive deal with the push and pull factors, the root causes of illegal migration: climate change, economic, peace and stability, democracy, in a comprehensive manner," Minister Lamola stated.
The Minister emphasized that South Africa is not the only country facing a migration challenge. "45% of the African continent lives outside their countries and not out of choice but out of necessity," he noted. He cited recent incidents including the report by the UN refugee agency that at least 144 people have been reported dead or missing off the coast of Mauritania, and the recent mass entry of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Minister Lamola explained why isolating South Africa would be unproductive: "If he just wants to put it on agenda and says xenophobia in South Africa, what will happen is that South Africa will be almost like be in some kind of court or inquiry where we must go there and defend ourselves."
Instead, South Africa advocates for "a wide comprehensive conference on migration" that would produce "clear scientific interventions, well processed, researched intervention that will be processed by the various institutions even organs of the AU including member states."
Minister Lamola pointed out that the solution is already on the books: "The African Union in its wisdom took a resolution in 2015 and said it calls for a comprehensive conference on migration. That is what the African Union should do - is to implement that resolution that already exists. It is there. It must just be implemented."
South Africa is also cooperating with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights on the matter, with a commission visit to South Africa expected soon. The Minister stressed that if the matter ultimately reaches the summit level, "it must go as a report which is well processed not just as a platform of naming and shaming."
DIRCO Director-General Zane Dangor addressed concerns about migration being weaponized for political purposes, noting that the events in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave on African soil have been used "to embarrass Spain for stances they've taken on the geopolitical agenda."
