POLITICIANS SCAPEGOATING IMMIGRANTS FOR FAILURES

Thu 12 September 2024:

Immigrants are being used as scapegoats for South Africa’s myriad challenges. That is according to an activist, who this week called politicians out for reckless statements on the topic.

Speaking in an interview with Salaamedia on Tuesday, Idrees Nungu of the African Migration Organisation said migration was a global phenomenon that needed to be addressed proactively.

“Migration is affecting each and every country in the world,” he argued, “but there should be a better solution that people should try and sort that type of problem.”

In the United Kingdom, riots broke out in July when an attacker was falsely branded a Muslim immigrant. Over in France, anti-immigrant sentiment has fuelled a surge in the far-right, and likewise in other parts of Europe.

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But that is not exclusive to the West. In South Africa, the run up to the 2024 elections also saw politicians take anti-immigration stances. They blamed immigrants for unemployment, poverty, and crime.

The Patriotic Alliance’s (PA) Gayton Mckenzie, now the arts and culture minister in Cyril Ramaphosa’s coalition government, referring to illegal immigrants, said “they must go home” and that “we don’t want illegal foreigners here”.

Some interpret this as a legitimate pushback against a wave of illegal immigration, defending themselves against accusations of xenophobia. But Nungi said politicians “talk carelessly about migration”, increasing chances of violence against foreigners.

“In South Africa, any politician who wants to campaign to take over from the other political party always talks about them as migrants. They take them as scapegoats. This is a big issue for all Africans that are living in South Africa.”

Between January and April 2024, Xenowatch reported 18 incidents of xenophobic harassment. At the same time, notes Human Rights Watch (HRW), authorities have failed to hold to account those responsible for deadly outbreaks that rocked Durban as far back as 16 years ago.