South Africa: South Africa's Anti-Immigrant Violence Slows SDG Goals, Rips Apart Africans' Free Movement Call
[IPS] Blantyre, Malawi -- The xenophobic protests against Malawians, Nigerians, Zimbabweans, and other Africans in South Africa not only created a humanitarian crisis but also jeopardised the achievement of some SDGs.
Blantyre, Malawi — The violent protests targeting Africans living in South Africa have caused a humanitarian crisis and hindered the progress towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the Malawian government concluded the repatriation of its citizens trapped in anti-immigrant violence on August 12, 2026, it had brought back 56,723 nationals after four months of unusual traffic into Malawi.
Rahim Ali, a 33-year-old Malawian migrant, recounted his harrowing experience during the repatriation process, describing the violence in South Africa as "terrible" and expressing gratitude for being safely returned home. The economic struggles faced by Malawians, such as Rahim, who left for South Africa in search of better job opportunities, were exacerbated by the xenophobic attacks.
These attacks, which have occurred frequently in the past, have not only caused human suffering but have also damaged South Africa's efforts to achieve the SDGs.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
