<\/p>\n
South Africa\u2019s international standing has taken a knock in recent weeks as xenophobic attacks against foreigners have drawn criticism from Ghana, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres and the African Commission on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights.<\/p>\n
Last week saw an anti-immigrant march through Joburg inner city suburbs such as Hillbrow, Yeoville and Berea, organised by March and March and other affiliated groups.<\/p>\n
The claimed purpose? To declare these high immigrant suburbs as no longer being \u201cno-go zones\u201d.<\/p>\n
Read\/listen:
Xenophobic protests escalate with countrywide shutdown planned for 4 May
Durban violence pushes immigration crisis to the brink, Maimane calls for army
Zim consulate to assist scores of families displaced in xenophobic violence<\/p>\n
An earlier march through the Durban CBD brought the city centre to a standstill.<\/p>\n
What started as a \u201cclean up campaign\u201d quickly devolved into a campaign of harassment against foreigners who are blamed by participants for rising crime and joblessness.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a group calling itself Concerned Citizens and the Voters of SA is calling for a countrywide shutdown on Monday 4 May over the presence of millions of foreigners who it demands be returned to their home countries, whether documented or not.<\/p>\n
This messaging has not gone unnoticed abroad, with growing\u00a0concerns\u00a0of retaliation against SA businesses on the continent.<\/p>\n
Ghana summoned acting South African High Commissioner Thando Dalamba for a demarche over \u201ccontinuous xenophobic attacks on Ghanaians and other Africans living in South Africa,\u201d according to a post on X.com by Ghana\u2019s Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe are urging South African authorities to take decisive action in protecting the human rights and dignity of our nationals and all Africans. Ghana equally expects that the promised investigations be expedited and all perpetrators punished to serve as adequate deterrence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018No place\u2019 for such violence<\/p>\n
The UN also voiced concern over reports of xenophobic attacks and acts of harassment and intimidation against migrants and foreign nationals in parts of SA.<\/p>\n
Guterres condemned \u201cthese criminal acts perpetrated by individuals inciting violence and exploiting socio-economic conditions\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cViolence, vigilantism and all forms of incitement to hatred have no place in an inclusive, democratic society governed by the rule of law and respect for human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similar condemnations came from the African Commission on Human and Peoples\u2019 Rights, which says it is \u201calarmed by allegations of assaults and harassment carried out by vigilante groups targeting individuals perceived to be undocumented migrants\u201d.<\/p>\n
These attacks form part of a pattern dating back to 1998 when three foreign nationals were killed in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
Read: South Africa says violence under control as death count rises [Apr 2015]<\/p>\n
The commission called on the SA government to conduct prompt and thorough investigations into all reported incidents of violence and intimidation against foreign nationals, and to take decisive steps to dismantle vigilante groups.<\/p>\n
Malema adds his voice<\/p>\n
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Also taking a strong stance against anti-immigrant violence is EFF leader Julius Malema, recently convicted of firearms offences for discharging a firearm in public.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no Zimbabwe that took your land from you. There is no Zimbabwe that took your tender from you. There is no Zimbabwe that took your job from you. There are no jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe jobs Zimbabweans are doing, you don\u2019t want to do them. You are so educated enough to do those slave jobs. Not that you are lazy, you are not lazy, you know your worth, and you are refusing to do those jobs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is what I am hated for. The people who stole your land are white conquerors, are white colonialists. It is written in books, no Zimbabwean conquered you, no Nigerian conquered you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Situation \u2018deteriorating\u2019<\/p>\n
March and March sprang up in 2025 as a rallying point for anti-immigrant voices, under the leadership of former Vuma FM anchor Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma,\u00a0who defends citizen arrests of illegal migrants on this radio show.<\/p>\n
The rising incidence of xenophobic attacks in SA is attracting concern across the continent as the victims are almost entirely black Africans.<\/p>\n
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) called on the SA government to \u201curgently safeguard Nigerians and other black immigrants amid reports of renewed xenophobic attacks in parts of the country\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile many expected a de-escalation of tensions following earlier engagements between both governments, the situation on the ground is deteriorating,\u201d says NiDCOM chair Abike Dabiri-Erewa.<\/p>\n
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\u2018Clean-up campaign\u2019 in Durban CBD turns into witch hunt for immigrants
\nThe resonance of Operation Dudula<\/p>\n
Members of another anti-immigrant group, Operation Dudula, are reported to have conducted \u201cworker audits\u201d of businesses into the Joburg area to determine if illegal migrants were being employed.<\/p>\n
Moneyweb understands from one employer that where undocumented workers are found to exist, those positions are being offered to South Africans for a fee of R2\u00a0000 or more.<\/p>\n
Immigration is likely to be an incendiary issue with local government elections coming up in November, with parties such as ActionSA, Operation Dudula, MK and Patriotic Alliance taking strong anti-illegal immigration positions.<\/p>\n
Read: Ramaphosa proclaims 4 November for local govt elections<\/p>\n
President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged public concerns about illegal migration in his 27 April Freedom Day address in Bloemfontein, but warned that these must not breed prejudice or xenophobic violence.<\/p>\n
The Department of Home Affairs is clamping down on illegal migration, including taking action against businesses hiring undocumented foreigners at the expense of South Africans.<\/p>\n
It is also attempting to root out corruption in the immigration system.<\/p>\n
Read: Damning probe into Home Affairs: \u2018Officials are selling citizenship\u2019 to fund luxurious lifestyles<\/p>\n
#risks #pariah #status #xenophobic #attacks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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