South African opposition politician and parliamentarian Julius Malema has described the recent wave of xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in the country as “state-sponsored”, accusing police and state institutions of failing to stop acts of intimidation and violence against migrants.
Mr Malema’s remarks come amid growing anti-foreigner protests, social media campaigns and the repatriation of hundreds of African migrants from South Africa, including Nigerians and Ghanaians, following rising tensions in several communities.
Meanwhile, the South African government has announced plans to begin charging foreign governments for the costs of deporting their nationals. This move has sparked debate across the continent.
‘Violence is state-sponsored’
In a video posted by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) about two weeks ago, Mr Malema alleged that authorities were enabling attacks against migrants.
“I think we should agree that the violence is state-sponsored because the police accompany the people who are committing all these crimes, and the state broadcaster and mainstream media are giving them unlimited airtime to spread hate and incite violence,” he said.
“We’ve seen in many videos where people manhandled other people in the presence of the police. Take them from one building to the other in the name of looking for drugs. According to South African law, that’s an assault, and police are duty-bound to intervene and make sure no civilian acts like a law enforcement officer.”
He further claimed that xenophobic violence mirrors patterns witnessed during previous episodes of political unrest.
“We’ve seen in the past where violence is sponsored by the state. It happens in the same areas where xenophobia is happening. They use tribal groups to perpetuate hate on each other.”
Rejecting arguments that economic hardship justifies attacks on migrants, Mr Malema said: “We cannot use our economic situation to justify hatred. There has always been a contestation of resources. It’s always been like that, but we were able to coexist even when these resources are so limited.”
‘We don’t own anything in our country’
Social media posts reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES show that anti-immigrant sentiments have continue to gain traction among some South Africans.
In a Facebook video posted Thursday, a South African identified as Njabulo Zwane filmed a deserted commercial district where shops had shut down and suggested that the closures demonstrated the dominance of foreign-owned businesses.
“We don’t own anything in our country,” he wrote.
“All the shops are closed, so no South African owns a business in town …this means these are all foreign shops.”
In the video, Mr Zwane said: “No shop is operating today. We don’t own anything in our country. The shops are closed. The town is closed, and this is very sad in South Africa.
“They must actually go and leave the country,” he added, apparently referring to foreign nationals.
“Everywhere is closed because most shops are not owned by South Africans. They are shut down. We’re telling people we’re happy without them.”
He also said he was parking his vehicle to join a march, apparently linked to anti-foreigner demonstrations.
Civil society groups push back
Civil society groups have, however, condemned attempts to blame migrants for South Africa’s economic challenges.
During a demonstration captured in a video posted by eNCAnews seven weeks ago, activists argued that migrants were being unfairly scapegoated.
“We are marching for justice. We are tired of the exploitation that is happening, dehumanising of other people because we call them illegal,” one protester said.
Another protester added: “Our problem is mass unemployment. The idea that the 12.4 million unemployed people in the country are because of the migrants is outrageous.”
A different South African voice
On Thursday, Khayalethu Sam, a South African married to a Nigerian woman, urged citizens to reject hatred and focus on the systemic causes of migration challenges.
“As South Africans, we must confront illegal activity wherever it exists. But we must also guard our hearts against hatred, violence, and the dehumanisation of others. We cannot solve one injustice by creating another,” he wrote on Facebook.
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Mr Sam further argued that corruption and governance failures, rather than migrants, were responsible for many of the country’s social and economic problems.
“May we choose wisdom over anger, truth over stereotypes, and compassion over hatred,” he said.
His intervention reflects a widening debate within South Africa over immigration, unemployment and national identity, as the country grapples with renewed xenophobic tensions and their implications for regional relations across Africa.