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The hashtag #SayNoToXenophobia is trending again, a scary dance that has made some waves in recent years, but on the streets of South Africa’s cities, the masses aren’t typing – they’re hunting. From the broken windows of migrant-owned shops in Soweto to the burnt remains of 55 shacks in Mossel Bay, a wave of brutal anti-foreign violence has swept the Rainbow Nation. In recent weeks, vigilante groups linked to movements such as March and March and Operation Dudula have gone door-to-door, dragging frightened families from their beds and demanding that foreign nationals leave immediately. “They chased us away like dogs,” a Mozambican national who has lived in the country for 16 years told AFP. “That’s not fair because I’m actually human.”
The death toll is increasing. The Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, confirmed that five Ethiopian citizens and five Mozambican citizens had lost their lives. “It has been devastating to witness the wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa this week,” Ghebreyesus said. “To see South Africa turn to xenophobia is a tragic betrayal of the country’s struggle for independence and freedom.”
How did we get here? In the midst of this chaos, it is difficult to imagine how one of Africa’s newest democracies could plunge into an abyss of hatred and crime against its African brothers and sisters who fought for the country. During the dark days of apartheid, many black South Africans were subjugated, and it was the entire continent that bled for their freedom. Now, those who benefit from this solidarity are throwing stones at the children of their liberators.
The true test of character is what a person does when given freedom. This test, the most prosperous country in the South African region, failed miserably. The psychological blow that occurred was shocking. Could they have forgotten their history so quickly? Or do they teach another history that excludes the role of others in their liberation?
Data shows that this is not just the work of a few “criminals”, as the government often claims. This is a national consensus of suspicion. According to the 2025 GovDem Survey, distrust of African immigrants in South Africa has soared past 73% – up more than 10 percentage points in just four years. Among unemployed South Africans, 77.3% do not trust foreigners. The root of this crisis is not xenophobia but governance failure; The official unemployment rate in South Africa hovers around 32%, and for young black South Africans, the figure exceeds 45%.
The discourse is so massive and heated that, compared to some other African countries, South Africa looks like one of those big reality TV shows – a society caught in a desperate inner psychological battle. Once again, authorities used the old explanation. Addressing the nation, President Cyril Ramaphosa insisted, “We know that South Africans are not xenophobic.” He warned against misinformation while seeking to distance the country from violence, stating that acts of lawlessness do not “reflect government policy.”
But the bodies on land tell a different story. The Mozambican government has confirmed that five of its citizens died as a result of the attack. More than 300 Mozambicans have fled back across the border. The Malawian government has repatriated 150 of its citizens, while Ghana has repatriated nearly 300 of its citizens. Nigeria has postponed flights for hundreds of others as it seeks to protect its people. As a result, South African artists are now paying the price; The continent retaliated by canceling shows and performances by South African musicians as a result of the widespread economic impact.
The consequences have now spilled over into the sporting arena, where the South African teams are facing a particularly tough pushback at the ongoing World Cup. From other African countries, the teams faced hostile receptions, frosty crowds and threats of diplomatic boycotts. This cold reception is a form of the bitter hatred that South Africa heaps on its neighbors. Countries whose citizens were murdered and hounded from their homes now view South African athletes with suspicion and hatred. What an irony: while South African sportsmen and women compete on the continental stage, their compatriots in their home country are forcing foreign players out of local leagues. The solidarity that should unite African countries in sporting glory has been torn apart by violence in cities. South African teams now bear not only the burden of competition but also the stigma of being a country that ignores pan-African brotherhood.
The dance of ingratitude has severe consequences. This chaos risks weakening the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – a framework intended to unite the continent commercially, which is entirely dependent on people’s trust and freedom of movement. “The people they deal with must be compensated,” said Ghanaian lawmaker Cletus Seidu Dapilah, calling on the African Union to impose sanctions. “The African Union must be able to take firm action on this. There is too much lawlessness in South Africa, and this cannot be condoned.”
Many good people have been taken from us in South Africa, murdered in horrific ways. If we could ask them now how they would like us to commemorate their untimely deaths, they would say: unite, my brothers and sisters, over the tragedy we have experienced. Don’t disappoint them.
At this critical juncture, it is time to seek direction from the African Union. It is hoped that there will be a clear policy regarding how foreigners should be handled. Necessary sanctions must be implemented against countries that do wrong – as we saw in Libya, where fellow black Africans were sold into slavery – to ensure that hatred is met with consequences.
Those who fight for freedom must not become the tyrants they once left behind. But in the cities of South Africa today, a dark irony has occurred: a nation born of a struggle against being treated as “outsiders” is now killing its neighbors for the same crime. The European continent has not forgotten who supported Mandela. South Africa would do well to remember that those who helped it rise can also withdraw its support – or withdraw it completely.
By: Allen Durueke
