CAPE TOWN – South Africa on Wednesday rejected suggestions that recent anti-immigrant protests in the country point to a xenophobic society, while urging law enforcement to ensure the safety of all people within its borders.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya made the remarks during a media briefing in Cape Town, saying the president believes South Africans are not xenophobic and describing the demonstrations as "pockets of protests" permissible under the Constitution.

Magwenya said the issue of emigration is a pressure point not only in South Africa but throughout the world, adding that the president expects law enforcement agencies to act to prevent any violence against individuals.

His comments came as hundreds of people took part in an anti-immigrant march in Durban's central business district on Wednesday.

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Since late April, widespread protests against illegal migration, sometimes turning violent, have occurred in major cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban. Some African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, have issued diplomatic protests to Pretoria about the alleged mistreatment of their citizens.

Magwenya said the president is calling for a frank and open conversation about the drivers of migration across Africa, including conflict, instability and "misgovernance that causes people to migrate in large numbers."

"South Africans are open, friendly, and warm people, and we will reject any notion that seeks to characterize this country or its people as being xenophobic," Magwenya stressed.