I am Nelson Muffuh, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in South Africa. However, I would like to speak beyond my official capacity today.
Let me begin by acknowledging President Kgalema Motlanthe and wishing him a happy birthday. It is always an honour and a privilege to be invited to contribute reflections to this important dialogue. I also thank Sis Gugu Motlanthe, the Foundation and everyone involved in organising this seminar.
I indicated that I wished to speak not simply as the United Nations Resident Coordinator, but as an African whose life has been profoundly shaped by migration.
I am myself a migrant. My family is dispersed across the world. I have studied and worked across Africa and internationally, and today I serve a global multilateral organisation.
For me, the benefits and impact of migration are deeply personal and profoundly meaningful.
When we discuss migration, I look beyond the statistics. I see people. I see family members. I see those who have had opportunities, and I see those who have not.
As an African whose life has been touched by migration, this conversation is particularly important. It also gives me an opportunity to examine my own assumptions and reflect on what is happening not only in South Africa but across the African continent.
As we have already heard, migration and human mobility are not new phenomena. Africa has grappled with them for generations, long before the emergence of the modern nation-state.
Our ancestors traded across borders, established new connections and transformed societies.
Indeed, we are all products of migration—including South Africa itself.
The evidence consistently shows that Africans move more within the continent than outside it. That reality should provide the foundation for this discussion.
The deeper question is not whether people will move. As Ambassador Sandra Kramer reminded us, people will move.
The real question is how Africa manages the movement of people responsibly and inclusively, just as we are working to facilitate the movement of goods under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
South Africa’s migration reality
South Africa remains one of the continent’s principal destination countries.
People come here for many reasons—the so-called pull factors.
While acknowledging those pull factors, we must also confront the push factors that compel people to leave their own countries. Both must be addressed simultaneously.
South Africa possesses much that deserves recognition and admiration.
Its constitutional order, commitment to human dignity, equality and human rights, the values of Ubuntu and the rule of law all provide a strong foundation.
The rule of law can sometimes frustrate those who expect immediate action from authorities, but it remains one of South Africa’s greatest strengths and deserves to be appreciated.
We have also heard about the genuine pressures confronting communities across the country.
Poverty.
Unemployment, particularly among young people.
Social exclusion.
And, perhaps most importantly, a growing breakdown of trust.
Trust between communities.
Trust in institutions.
Trust in political leadership.
These are challenges that extend beyond South Africa and affect many parts of our continent.
When trust weakens, resistance grows.
We must therefore address these realities without resorting to vigilantism or the stigmatisation of migrants, who are part of our shared African family.
The importance of state capacity
I fully agree with the point made earlier that when the state is absent—or is perceived to be absent—it creates a vacuum.
That vacuum is quickly filled by vigilantism, agitation and misinformation.
We therefore need a capable and visible state that exercises the legitimate monopoly of enforcing immigration laws.
It should be the state—not private individuals—that prevents harassment, stops people from unlawfully demanding documentation, prevents businesses from being disrupted and ensures that no one takes law enforcement into their own hands.
When those things occur, the issue is no longer simply one of migration.
It becomes a challenge to the rule of law itself.
The more visible, consistent and credible our legitimate institutions become, the less space exists for fear, misinformation and unlawful enforcement.
That is why migration governance matters.
Beyond border management
Migration governance, however, cannot be viewed solely through the lens of border control and documentation.
It must also be viewed through the lens of social cohesion and of addressing the root causes that compel people to move.
As Africans, we must think about these issues collectively.
I would therefore like to propose three shifts in the way we approach migration.
First: From crisis management to people-centred migration governance
Migration should not be approached simply as a crisis to be managed.
It must recognise both the responsibilities of the state and the rights of individuals.
The central question is whether migration governance can be fair, accountable and grounded in human dignity.
We have already heard about the importance of migration being orderly and safe.
I would add another essential principle:
Migration must also be dignified.
That requires systems that function effectively.
Systems that manage documentation efficiently.
Systems that secure borders responsibly.
Systems that ensure accountable law enforcement.
Systems that build public trust.
And systems that actively combat misinformation.
Public communication and the management of misinformation are absolutely central to effective migration governance.
Second: Treat mobility as part of regional integration
Secondly, we should treat mobility as an integral part of regional development and integration—not as a separate policy issue.
Africa’s future depends not only on the movement of goods, but also on the movement of people, skills, knowledge, values and cultures.
It also depends on our ability to harness innovation and technology.
For the business leaders participating in today’s discussion, migration is not merely a social issue.
It is also an economic issue.
It is about competitiveness.
No country—or continent—can industrialise, innovate or trade at scale if talent cannot move.
As we implement the African Continental Free Trade Area, we must look beyond tariffs, customs procedures and trade corridors.
We must also focus on human capabilities and how they can be recognised, integrated and fully utilised.
That means investing in:
- skills recognition;
- ethical recruitment;
- labour standards;
- portable social protection; and
- regular migration pathways for employment, study and family reunification.
Third: Invest deliberately in social cohesion
Thirdly, we must invest in social cohesion as deliberately as we invest in infrastructure and economic development.
Peaceful coexistence does not emerge automatically.
It requires leadership.
It requires dialogue—even when the conversations are uncomfortable.
It requires trusted institutions.
It requires us to harness Africa’s demographic dividend and the enormous potential of our young people.
It also requires us to reject intolerance in all its forms.
Our objective must be to build a shared sense of belonging among host communities, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers alike.
No one should be left behind.
That is why dehumanising language, misinformation and scapegoating are so dangerous.
They weaken social cohesion.
Instead, we must actively reinforce peaceful coexistence.
South Africa possesses rich traditions upon which it can build.
Ubuntu.
A strong constitutional order.
And a long history of dialogue.
These remain powerful foundations.
Conclusion
As I conclude, let me return to where I began.
As a migrant, as someone from a migrant family, and as a father whose children are also living across borders, I see migration as part of the African story.
It is our shared story.
As the late former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan reminded us, human mobility is a fact of life.
Rather than attempting to prevent it, we should ensure that it works for people before it becomes a challenge beyond our ability to manage.
The real question for Africa is whether we can govern mobility in ways that protect human dignity, strengthen security and advance shared prosperity.
If we succeed, migration will become a bridge.
A bridge connecting people.
Connecting societies.
Connecting economies.
Connecting countries.
And connecting our common interests.
I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute these reflections.
Thank you very much.