US sanctions the reason Zimbabweans are flooding SA, says Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an end to sanctions against Zimbabwe, saying that is one the reasons those citizens flood into South Africa.

South Africa has seen an influx of Zimbabweans coming to the country over the years, some documented and some illegal.

This has caused tensions as some South Africans accuse Zimbabweans of stealing their jobs due to cheap labour.

For a few years, there had been incidents of violence erupting in different parts of South Africa, to a point where lives had been lost.

Ramaphosa was speaking during the ANC's January 8 statement, marking the party's 111th anniversary, at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein, Free State, on Sunday.

Ramaphosa said the ANC must rebuild international solidarity networks through party-to-party relations with its historical partners and build new relationships with newly formed progressive forces.

"The ANC supports the calls for the lifting of punitive sanctions against Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Syria, Zimbabwe and elsewhere where such sanctions have been imposed unilaterally and unjustifiably, causing immense suffering and hardship to ordinary citizens of these countries," said Ramaphosa.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening relations on the continent and the world at large.

"We must strengthen party-to-party and multi-party relations on our continent to turn consensus into concrete action. The ANC should intensify engagement with Southern African liberation movements to ensure that common programmes are realised."

Noting the persistent oppression and exploitation of peoples in various parts of the world and the weakening of global peace and stability," Ramaphosa said the ANC's 55th National Conference resolved to intensify international solidarity in all forms.

"The ANC continues to pledge its solidarity with the people of Palestine for freedom, independence, justice and equality. The ANC reiterates the call for the right to self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, and we will continue to strengthen the long and traditional bonds with the Polisario Front," Ramaphosa said.

At the weekend, Defence Minister Thandi Modise, according to SABC News, said most crime syndicates in the country are not run by South Africans.

She said the government is often too shy to call out foreigners when they fail to respect South African laws, out of fear of being labelled xenophobic.