South Africa is experiencing a notable rise in attacks and protests against immigrants, amid accusations that foreigners are competing with local residents for jobs and public services, as the country grapples with a worsening economic and social crisis.
Human Rights Watch has warned of a new wave of violence against foreigners in South Africa, as anti-immigration groups intensify their protests and actions that resemble “vigilante justice.”
Anti-immigration groups, including the movements “March and March” and “Operation Dudula” (meaning “operation to expel” in Zulu), are leading campaigns in several cities demanding the departure of immigrants and stricter measures against illegal immigration.
Posters and videos circulating on social media show anti-immigration individuals calling on foreign nationals to leave South Africa by the upcoming June 30, raising growing fears of a potential escalation in violence and collective targeting of immigrants in the near future.
Why are attacks against immigrants escalating?
According to reports, many cities and towns in South Africa suffer from poverty and inequality, which anti-immigration groups and some political parties exploit to fuel hostile sentiments toward foreigners by portraying them as the primary source of these economic crises.
Political parties such as the “National Alliance,” “ActionSA,” and “uMkhonto we Sizwe” depict immigrants as competitors to local residents for jobs in the labor market and public services.
In this context, Mpho Makubela, a member of the Refugee and Migrant Union of South Africa and an activist with the organization “Kopanang Against Xenophobia” (KAAX), said that vigilante groups are increasing in response to what he described as widespread “social frustration” in the country.
Makubela explained that vigilante groups exploit the anger resulting from economic and social crises, as well as the lack of sufficient efforts to address gaps related to inequality.
He added that South Africa still faces a major challenge in addressing the legacy of the apartheid system, as its residents continue to suffer from economic and social crises.
How did immigrants become a “scapegoat”?
The recent rapid deterioration in social and economic conditions in South Africa, including an unemployment rate exceeding 43%, coincided with a rise in anti-immigrant activity and the emergence of new vigilante groups, most notably “March and March” and “Operation Dudula.”
These groups accuse foreign immigrants of causing the economic crises the country is experiencing, holding them responsible for the decline in public services and high crime rates, despite studies denying the validity of these claims and disproving the link between immigrants and the outbreak of economic and social crises.
Furthermore, according to a Human Rights Watch report, anti-immigration groups have gone as far as preventing immigrants from accessing basic services, including healthcare and education in public facilities. For example, the “Operation Dudula” group led campaigns targeting those they called “illegal immigrants,” sometimes including barring them from entering government hospitals and health centers.
In an attempt to curb these attacks against foreigners, the Gauteng High Court issued an injunction in November last year prohibiting supporters of the “Operation Dudula” movement from obstructing immigrants’ access to public healthcare facilities.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the “Operation Dudula” movement, Pat Mokgalusi, said that “illegal foreigners should just pack their bags and leave,” justifying his stance by arguing that irregular immigration weakens public systems and institutions and increases pressure on job opportunities and services.
Mokgalusi also linked illegal immigration to high crime rates and poor planning, while noting that legal immigrants are welcome as long as they comply with the laws.
Similarly, the founder of the “March and March” movement, Jacinta Ngobese
