JOHANNESBURG, July 15 (Xinhua) -- South Africa on Wednesday rejected what it described as a sustained misinformation campaign aimed at portraying the country as isolated from the rest of Africa amid recent protests against illegal migration.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the campaign, which had been observed over the past two months, sought to portray South Africa as a "pariah state" that should be referred to international courts.
He said the campaign had continued despite numerous official government statements condemning acts of vigilantism against foreign nationals, affirming the state's responsibility to enforce immigration laws, and reiterating the government's commitment to the supremacy of the Constitution.
"Even ordinary diplomatic exchanges over meetings have been deliberately misrepresented to create an impression that South Africa is being isolated," he said.
The Presidency firmly rejected and cautioned against the spread of false information about South Africa, saying it would strongly oppose any campaign seeking to misrepresent the country and its values.
Magwenya cited President Cyril Ramaphosa's continued engagement with African leaders through bilateral meetings, telephone conversations, regional summits and other diplomatic channels, including recent interactions with the leaders of Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
"Once again, we assert that South Africa is not isolated and can never be isolated from the rest of the African continent," Magwenya added. ■