Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, Esq.
The recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa are not merely isolated criminal acts; they are a profound moral, political, and legal crisis that strikes at the very foundation of African unity.
From the streets of Johannesburg to the townships of Durban and Pretoria, African migrants, many from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Somalia, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have repeatedly become targets of violence, looting, intimidation, and murder. These attacks are unacceptable under any standard of human civilization, and they must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
For a country whose liberation was supported by the blood, sweat, diplomacy, and resources of fellow African nations, xenophobia against Africans is not only shameful; it is historically contradictory and politically dangerous.
South Africa owes a historical debt to Africa
During the dark years of apartheid, African countries stood firmly with South Africa. Nigeria funded anti-apartheid movements and imposed sanctions against the apartheid regime.
Zambia, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, and others sheltered South African freedom fighters. The Organization of African Unity mobilized continental solidarity against racial oppression.
South Africa’s freedom was not achieved in isolation. It was an African victory.
Today, when African migrants are hunted, beaten, or blamed for economic hardship, it represents a betrayal of the Pan-African solidarity that once protected South Africans during their own years of suffering.
No African nation should forget the hands that lifted it during its darkest hour.
Xenophobia Violates International and African Law
Xenophobic attacks are not only immoral; they are illegal.
Under international law, South Africa is bound by several human rights instruments, including:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
- The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
- The Refugee Convention of 1951
These legal instruments guarantee the rights to life, dignity, movement, security, equality before the law, and freedom from discrimination.
The South African Constitution itself—widely regarded as one of the most progressive constitutions in the world- explicitly protects human dignity, equality, and freedom for “everyone,” not merely citizens. Section 9 prohibits discrimination, while Section 10 guarantees dignity and Section 12 guarantees freedom and security of the person.
Therefore, xenophobic violence constitutes:
- A violation of constitutional rights
- A breach of international obligations
- A failure of state protection
- A direct assault on African human rights norms.
The government has both a legal and constitutional duty to prevent these attacks, prosecute perpetrators, and dismantle the political rhetoric that fuels hatred against foreigners.
Economic Frustration Is No Justification for Violence
It is true that South Africa faces severe unemployment, inequality, crime, and economic hardship. However, migrants are not the architects of these systemic failures.
Corruption, poor governance, inequality inherited from apartheid, weak economic transformation, and elite capture are the real structural causes.
Blaming poor African migrants for national economic problems is both intellectually dishonest and politically irresponsible.
History shows that societies in crisis often search for scapegoats. Xenophobia exploits fear and poverty by redirecting public anger away from failed leadership and toward vulnerable outsiders. This is dangerous politics.
African migrants contribute significantly to South Africa’s economy through entrepreneurship, labor, skills, trade, and innovation. Many create businesses in neglected communities, generate employment, and expand local economies.
To criminalize or demonize them collectively is unjust and economically self-destructive.
Pan-Africanism Demands African Brotherhood
Pan-Africanism is not a slogan for ceremonial speeches. It is a moral and political doctrine rooted in the belief that Africans share a common destiny.
Leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Thomas Sankara, and Nelson Mandela envisioned an Africa united beyond colonial borders. Xenophobia destroys that vision.
Colonialism divided Africans artificially through borders drawn in European conferences. Pan-Africanism sought to reverse that fragmentation by restoring African solidarity, dignity, and cooperation.
An African attacking another African because of nationality serves the interests of division, not liberation.
The African continent cannot achieve genuine integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) while Africans are unsafe in African countries. Economic unity cannot coexist with social hatred.
Political Leaders Must Stop Inciting Hatred
One of the most disturbing aspects of xenophobic violence is the role played by irresponsible political rhetoric. Some politicians exploit public frustration by portraying foreigners as criminals, job stealers, or parasites. Such language legitimizes violence and normalizes discrimination.
Leadership carries ethical responsibility. Public officials must educate citizens, promote coexistence, and defend constitutional values—not inflame tensions for political gain.
Silence from leaders during attacks is equally dangerous. Neutrality in the face of injustice empowers aggressors.
Africa Must Respond Firmly
African governments and institutions cannot remain passive observers whenever xenophobic violence erupts. The African Union, regional bodies, civil society organizations, and governments across the continent must insist on accountability and protection for African migrants.
This does not mean hostility toward South Africa. Rather, it means defending African dignity consistently and universally.
African unity must be practical, not symbolic.
Conclusion
Xenophobic attacks in South Africa are a stain on the conscience of the continent. They violate law, betray history, undermine African unity, and weaken the moral authority of a nation that once inspired the world through its struggle against apartheid.
No African should live in fear because of nationality inside Africa.
The future of the continent depends on solidarity, justice, and shared humanity—not division and hatred. South Africa, as a leading African nation, must rise above xenophobia and recommit itself to the Pan-African ideals that once helped secure its own freedom.
Africa must never become a continent where black people become strangers to one another.
Yankuzo is the Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement (CEFSAN) and can be contacted via email at yankuzo@cefsan.org
