President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that security forces are prepared to maintain law and order ahead of the so-called 30 June deadline being advocated by anti-illegal immigration groups for foreign nationals to leave the country.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Youth Day commemorations at Nasrec in Johannesburg, Ramaphosa dismissed the deadline as unnecessary and accused leaders of anti-illegal immigration protests of attempting to mislead citizens and sow instability.
The president issued a stern warning against vigilantism, stressing that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of government and law enforcement agencies.
"No South African must take any action against any person from any of our African sister countries. That is the responsibility of government and government officials," Ramaphosa said.
He emphasised that government was already addressing concerns around illegal immigration and that there was no need for citizens to take matters into their own hands.
"The so-called 30 June is not an event that is even necessary because we are addressing the challenges our people are facing," he said.
"We must not allow South Africans to be duped and misled by those who want to foster instability in our country. We will not allow that. Security forces will ensure there is no instability and no disruption to the lives of our people."
Ramaphosa's comments come amid growing tensions surrounding calls by some anti-illegal immigration groups for foreign nationals living in South Africa without legal documentation to leave the country by the end of June.
The president reiterated that government would continue to enforce immigration laws through the appropriate legal channels while safeguarding peace and stability across the country.