by AKANI CHAUKE
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) — A COALITION of migrant-rights organisations, civic groups and human-rights advocates has called on South African media institutions to intensify reporting on xenophobic violence, displacement and human-rights abuses affecting foreign nationals across the country.
In an open letter addressed to editors, publishers, broadcasters, news directors and journalists, the organisations argued that the media has a constitutional responsibility to ensure accurate, balanced and sustained coverage of attacks targeting vulnerable communities.
The letter, dated 5 June, expresses concern over what the groups describe as selective reporting and insufficient investigation into incidents involving foreign nationals in several parts of South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and other affected communities.
According to the organisations, reports from affected areas indicate that some migrants have been subjected to intimidation, assaults, looting, property destruction and forced displacement.
They allege that, in certain cases, individuals fled their homes and businesses in search of safety, while others continued to face hardship after relocating to different provinces.
The coalition argues that incidents involving anti-immigrant violence often fail to receive the level of sustained investigative attention devoted to other major public-interest issues.
It contends that attacks on businesses, displacement of residents and destruction of property require rigorous scrutiny and accountability from both authorities and the media.
At the centre of the appeal is a call for victim-centred reporting.
The organisations argue that displaced families, refugee advocates, humanitarian groups and affected communities are frequently overshadowed by individuals and organisations promoting anti-immigrant narratives.
They warned that granting disproportionate visibility to inflammatory rhetoric without adequate fact-checking or contextual analysis risks legitimising vigilantism and deepening social divisions.
The letter also emphasises that South Africa’s Constitution guarantees fundamental rights, including equality before the law, human dignity, life, security and access to justice for all people within the country’s borders, regardless of nationality.
The organisations further referenced international and regional human-rights instruments that require states to protect individuals from discrimination, violence and persecution.
Beyond media coverage, the coalition urged journalists to intensify scrutiny of law-enforcement agencies and government institutions.
It called for greater accountability regarding the prevention of violence, protection of vulnerable communities and prosecution of those responsible for attacks.
Among its recommendations, the coalition urged media houses to commit to evidence-based reporting, conduct dedicated investigations into xenophobic incidents, establish editorial safeguards against the uncritical amplification of inflammatory claims and publish follow-up reports on criminal investigations and prosecutions.
The organisations maintained that South Africa’s challenges relating to migration, unemployment, crime and public services deserve robust public debate.
However, they argued that unlawful violence, intimidation, displacement and collective stereotyping should be subjected to equally rigorous scrutiny in line with the principles of constitutional democracy and responsible journalism.
– CAJ News