Five Things To Know About South Africa's Anti-Migrant Protests

Authorities have recorded the first deaths allegedly linked to a new wave of xenophobic unrest sweeping South Africa, with police saying two Mozambican nationals were killed after protests at the weekend.

Mozambique’s government said five of its citizens were killed “as a direct consequence of the xenophobic attacks” that flared after a march against undocumented migrants in the southern town of Mossel Bay on Friday.

Confirming only that two Mozambicans died after being assaulted following the march, the South African police would not say if there was a link with anti-migrant sentiment.

Waves of xenophobic violence have swept South Africa over the past decades, including in 2008 when dozens were killed.

Here are five things to know about the latest unrest.

Mostly low-key demonstrations flared late last year when undocumented foreign nationals were blocked from accessing clinics and hospitals.

Protests intensified this year, with vigilante groups warning irregular migrants to go home by June 30.

It reflects growing public anger in Africa’s most industrialised nation over issues such as soaring joblessness, crime and pressure on resources, analysts say, with a steady influx of mostly African migrants becoming a convenient scapegoat.

Some political forces also appear to be using the tensions to garner support ahead of municipal elections in November.

There are roughly three million immigrants in the country, about 5.1 per cent of the population, according to the national statistics agency.

More than 63 per cent come from neighbouring countries in the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc that are facing their own economic crises and political instability.

Protesters have been whipped into action by a loose coalition of political parties and citizen-led xenophobic vigilante movements, some fronted by men in traditional Zulu dress.

Claims that migrants are behind crime and taking jobs from locals have inflamed tensions in townships strained by poverty, unemployment and weak policing.

South Africa’s official unemployment rate is nearly 33 percent — significantly higher when discouraged job seekers are included.

A virulent social media campaign, which includes disinformation debunked by AFP, has contributed to the spread of anti-migrant sentiment.

“The main ingredient is right-wing political opportunism,” political scientist Sandile Swana told AFP.

“We are seeing a new form of black-on-black violence diverting attention from the true culprits of the economic crisis,” he said.

Why does xenophobia keep resurfacing?

In 2008, 62 people were killed in anti-immigrant riots, and thousands were displaced. Further outbreaks followed in 2015 and 2016.

Violence in 2019 saw armed mobs descend on foreign-owned businesses around Johannesburg, leaving at least 12 people dead — 10 of them South African citizens.

Critics say weak law enforcement and limited prosecutions have entrenched a culture of impunity.

“There is no law enforcement against illegal, unlawful vigilantism and Afrophobia in South Africa, no prosecution at all,” Swana said.

What sets the current wave apart is the growing acceptance of xenophobic rhetoric beyond fringe groups, said William Gumede, professor of public management at the University of the Witwatersrand.

“That wasn’t the case in the past, which is really a flashpoint,” he said.

Several African countries — including Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Lesotho and Zimbabwe — have urged their citizens in South Africa to exercise caution.

Ghana has flown home 300 of its nationals, and Nigeria announced it would also repatriate its citizens.

The United Nations said it was “deeply concerned”, while Human Rights Watch criticised the inadequate response from the authorities.

South Africa’s government has meanwhile rejected accusations of xenophobia and urged other African nations to address the economic and governance crises driving migration.

An order by vigilante groups for undocumented migrants to leave by June 30 has sparked alarm even though it has no legal weight.

Demonstrations have been announced in the lead-up to the supposed deadline, with groups also forcing small businesses run by foreign nationals to close.

South Africa’s international standing has been dented, undermining its post-apartheid image as a champion of human rights and African solidarity.

The government had “positioned South Africa as a moral authority, but that is now heavily destroyed”, Gumede said.