Rising xenophobic wave in South Africa: migrants face violence, job loss
Al Jazeera English
Anti-immigrant groups in South Africa are stepping up protests and vigilante actions targeting foreigners, including Zimbabweans. Human Rights Watch warns of a new wave of xenophobic attacks amid soaring unemployment and economic inequality. The government pledges to uphold the rule of law, but critics say enforcement remains weak.
Johannesburg, South Africa – Human Rights Watch has warned of a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa as anti-immigrant groups escalate protests and vigilante actions against foreigners, including Zimbabweans. The warning came in a report released Tuesday (June 25) amid growing demonstrations in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
Movements such as March and March and Operation Dudula, two anti-immigration organisations in South Africa, have led protests in several cities. These groups call for stricter law enforcement against illegal immigrants.
“We keep receiving reports through community networks of threats, harassment, unlawful evictions, workplace discrimination, police extortion, as well as denial of access to health care and other basic services affecting migrants and refugees,” said Mike Ndlovu, communications coordinator for Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX).
Social media messages and videos circulating call for foreigners to leave South Africa by June 30. However, many incidents are believed to go unreported because victims fear reprisal, arrest or deportation.
Roots of the backlash
In some urban areas and poor townships where unemployment and inequality are high, anti-immigrant movements appear to be gaining more support. Political parties such as the Patriotic Alliance, ActionSA and uMkhonto we Sizwe regularly portray immigrants as competitors for jobs and public services.
“Vigilante groups are exploiting the country’s frustration over unemployment, socio-economic decline and the lack of efforts to address the inequality gap. The country still faces the enormous task of addressing the legacy of the apartheid regime,” said Mpho Makhubela, a member of the Coalition for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA).
Human toll
Violence and harassment have directly affected migrants’ daily lives. Mpofu, a Zimbabwean who worked as a delivery driver, recounted being stopped by a vigilante group in Pretoria in January. “My colleague jumped out of the car and ran, leaving me alone. They started harassing me, asking why my colleague had fled,” he said.
Another migrant, Zwelibanzi Velempini Khumalo, described growing hostility in communities around Durban and Pietermaritzburg. He said tensions in Mpumuza early this year forced foreigners to leave, with some losing belongings, property and business goods in riots. He also lost his job as an accounting lecturer after vigilante members demanded the dismissal of undocumented staff. His wife, who still holds a valid permit, is now the family’s sole breadwinner.
Official response
The South African government says it remains committed to the rule of law and protecting foreigners. Government spokesperson Nomonde Mnukwa acknowledged public frustration over unemployment, pressure on resources and crime, but stressed zero tolerance for hostile actions against migrants.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also declared that targeting migrants under the guise of activism is illegal. Immigration law is under review, border systems are being modernised and accountability is being strengthened. However, critics remain hardline. Pat Mokgalusi, spokesperson for the Operation Dudula Movement, said: “Illegal foreigners must pack up and leave,” arguing that illegal immigration undermines the system.
International concern
Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said his country is monitoring rising anti-migrant tensions in South Africa but will not intervene in Pretoria’s internal affairs. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) have expressed concern and called on South African authorities to investigate abuses.
Human Rights Watch stressed that blaming migrants is fuelling violence, warning that portraying migrants as causing crime, unemployment and poor services risks deepening xenophobic ideology and eroding human rights protections. “South Africa’s constitution and international human rights law protect the right to protest, but that does not include a licence to commit violence,” said Nomathamsanqa Masiko-Mpaka, a researcher at Human Rights Watch in South Africa.
