from DION HENRICK in Cape Town
Western Cape Bureau
CAPE TOWN, (CAJ News) – FORMER South African President Thabo Mbeki has warned against rising xenophobia and hostility towards foreign nationals, saying African migrants will continue coming to South Africa despite protests and marches targeting them.
Mbeki was addressing Africa Day commemorations at the Century City Conference Centre in Cape Town, where events are running from May 21 to 25.
He argued that many African countries played a crucial role in supporting South Africa’s liberation struggle against apartheid and colonialism, making the country’s democratic success a shared African achievement.
“One prediction I will make is that Africans will continue to come to South Africa. It does not matter what you do,” Mbeki said.
He criticised those blaming foreign nationals for unemployment, crime and economic hardships, arguing that such accusations were misplaced and dangerous.
“Huge levels of unemployment, correct. High levels of crime, that is correct, but the finger is being pointed at the wrong people,” he said.
Mbeki stressed that South Africa’s economic decline, which intensified after 2009, was largely the result of policy failures, corruption and governance challenges rather than the presence of undocumented migrants.
“The people who caused that decline are laughing in a corner because you are not pointing at them but somewhere else. It is wrong,” he added.
He said many African migrants viewed South Africa as part of a collective continental struggle for freedom because neighbouring countries sheltered and supported anti-apartheid activists during years of repression.
“The South African struggle was not just a South African struggle, but their struggle too,” Mbeki said.
Analysts warn that xenophobia and vigilantism threaten social cohesion, economic stability and Africa’s long-standing values of unity and solidarity.
Violent attacks against foreign nationals have repeatedly damaged South Africa’s international image, disrupted businesses and traumatised vulnerable communities.
Experts note that blaming migrants for complex social and economic problems often diverts attention from the real causes of unemployment, inequality and poor service delivery.
They argue that sustainable solutions require economic reforms, investment, skills development and accountable leadership rather than violence and scapegoating.
Human rights organisations have also condemned vigilantism, warning that taking the law into one’s own hands undermines the rule of law and fuels further instability.
In democratic societies, disputes must be addressed through lawful processes, dialogue and effective policing.
Mbeki said South Africans should focus on identifying and addressing the root causes of economic decline rather than targeting fellow Africans.
“You are not going to solve unemployment by shouting at undocumented Africans while leaving the real culprits untouched,” he said.
– CAJ News