Citing growing anti-African anti-migrant protests, Nigeria has summoned South Africa’s acting high commissioner to a meeting at the Foreign Ministry on Monday.
The move comes just a week after Ghana’s Foreign Ministry held talks with South Africa’s Acting High Commissioner in Accra to protest against several alleged “xenophobic incidents” involving Ghanaians.
Meanwhile, news outlet City Press reports that South African trucks and citizens could be prevented from entering neighboring Mozambique on Monday, as protests were expected in Resano Garcia in retaliation for xenophobic marches, statements and attacks against immigrants in South Africa.
The development comes just days after South Africa’s police ministry vowed to crack down on anyone carrying out xenophobic attacks against Ghanaians and other foreign nationals, or participating in or inciting xenophobic acts.
Xenophobia is nothing new in South Africa
Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa, and more anti-immigrant protests have been reported in recent months, some of which have included violence against foreign shoppers.
The focus of anti-immigrant incidents has been on black Africans, with more than two-thirds of South Africa’s estimated three million foreign residents coming from neighboring southern African countries.
With an unemployment rate of more than 30%, migrant rights campaigners say migrants in South Africa have been used as scapegoats for the country’s economic problems.
Ferial Haffaji, Associate Editor South Africa daily whimsicalWrote that “political entrepreneurs” were abusing the situation.
He wrote, “Populist political entrepreneurs who take advantage of social media and the social disadvantages of widespread unemployment and inequality to run campaigns that can then be translated into political leadership positions and the high life.”
Some mainstream South African political parties, including Action SA and the Inkatha Freedom Party, have also joined the demonstrations, which they say were meant to protest against undocumented immigrants.
International concern about anti-migrant violence
Nigeria and Ghana are not the only countries to express concern over this trend.
On 27 April, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement issued by his spokesperson that he was “deeply concerned by reports of xenophobic attacks and acts of harassment and intimidation against migrants and foreign nationals.”
“Violence, vigilantism and all forms of incitement to hatred have no place in an inclusive, democratic society governed by the rule of law and respect for human rights,” he said.
South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ronald Lamola, told a meeting of government officials last month that violence against migrants is a threat to South Africa’s constitutional order.
“Acts of lawlessness, intimidation and violence against migrant communities have no place in our constitutional democracy,” he said.
The country’s police minister Firoz Kachaliya said, “Acts of xenophobia, violence, looting or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Edited by: Sam Dusan Inayatullah