Feature: What Shall We Do About South Africa?
If South Africa needed any serious signal that the mobs roaming the streets of its cities and townships in search of immigrants were a disgrace, the FIFA World Cup in June 2026, provided a large screen. But the country is not looking. Or is looking but cannot see. In the last three years, according to […] The post Feature: What Shall We Do About South Africa? appeared first on The Ghanaian…
South Africa's xenophobic attacks on immigrants have become a disgrace, with eight deaths linked to such attacks in the past three years, according to Xenowatch. During the FIFA World Cup in June 2026, African fans targeted South Africa's national soccer team, Bafana Bafana, causing heartbreak for a country that should have united with its continent.
Xenophobic outbursts began in 1994, three years after Nelson Mandela became the country's first black president, and have continued ever since. While the root cause of xenophobia may be linked to local grievances such as job competition and perceived social disadvantages, the truth is more nuanced. South Africa has a significant immigrant population, the majority of whom are from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, with only about 1% being Nigerians.
Despite this, politicians often blame immigrants for taking jobs, putting pressure on healthcare and other services, and contributing to crime. The African Union, the continent's peacemaker, appears helpless in addressing this issue.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
