“We present ourselves as if we are some sort of human rights leader, but our xenophobia shows otherwise.”
On Wednesday, CapeTalk host Lester Kiewit spoke to the growing anti-immigration and xenophobic sentiment currently playing out across South Africa.
Kiewit said the two positions cannot co-exist. “You can’t argue for human rights abroad while failing to protect vulnerable people inside your borders.”
His comments come as President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that, while the country’s migration challenges must be addressed, the government won’t tolerate violence, vigilantism and xenophobia.
He was speaking during his budget vote address in Parliament on Tuesday.
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The fresh wave of xenophobic protests across the country in recent weeks has left many foreign nations saying they live in fear of violence.
Previously, such protests had been limited to Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal; more recently, the Western Cape has seen several incidents unfolding, the latest reported in Mossel Bay and Kleinmond.
In Mossel Bay, two Mozambican nationals were killed after being assaulted in an informal settlement, according to police.
The violence prompted hundreds of Mozambicans to consider returning home amid concerns for their safety.
Tensions also spilt over into Kleinmond, where hundreds of residents took part in a march calling for foreign nationals to leave the area.
The protest reportedly left many families in fear, with some spending the night away from their homes.
The South African Human Rights Commission has expressed concern over the rising anti-immigrant tensions in the province.
“Migrants are not always criminals,” said SAHRC Commissioner Sandra Makoasha. “They are people without documentation, they’re asylum seekers who leave their country under difficult circumstances.”
Makoasha says it is disappointing, given South Africa’s own history, that Afrophobia is once again rearing its head.
“The Commission is worried that it is spreading through the use of misinformation on social media and the idea that socio-economic difficulties in South Africa can be linked to these vulnerable and marginalised communities.
“It’s more dangerous than civil organisations because it validates their claims. It validates this idea that migrants are the problem.”
ALSO READ: WC police warn violent protesters will face full force of the law
Sara-Jayne Makwala King
www.ewn.co.za