{
  "id": 1211733,
  "title": "Are South Africans ashamed of the anti-migrant actions? Really?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/are-south-africans-ashamed-of-the-anti-migrant-actions-really",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T06:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/opinion/are-south-africans-ashamed-of-the-anti-migrant-actions-really/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Ramaphosa recently declared that South Africans are \"deeply concerned and ashamed\" that people from other nations were treated badly and even forced to leave the country under threat of violence. It begs the question: are South Africans truly ashamed of these acts of anti-migrant violence?\n\nWhile it's understandable that many South Africans were appalled by the xenophobic attacks, the president's statement implies that only a few individuals engaged in the violence. However, the statement ignores the many who enabled, supported and condoned the attacks. If only a small number perpetrated the violence, how could all South Africans be held accountable?\n\nThe president's words seem to shift the blame away from the broader society that allowed such hatred to fester. It's one thing to express concern over a few extreme acts, but quite another to claim the entire nation feels shame for something so egregious. More telling would be to ask if enough South Africans actually felt ashamed to make a significant difference.",
  "summary": "South Africans didn't have to lift a finger to let March and March do its thing. It did its thing.",
  "key_points": [
    "President Ramaphosa claims South Africans deeply concerned and ashamed of anti-migrant actions.",
    "The president shifts blame away from broader society allowing hatred to fester."
  ],
  "editors_take": "President Ramaphosa's assertion that South Africans are ashamed of anti-migrant actions obscures the role of widespread societal condoning and support that enabled the violence to occur in the first place.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}