Sema Fonkem 29/09/2025

When you arrive South Africa through OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town Airport or King Shaka International Airport in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, the atmosphere is most welcoming with a great view of beautiful skyscrapers, flyovers to five star hotels and amazing holiday resorts but underneath the city’s beauty lies a disturbing phenomena, a hate crime called xenophobia.

Ever since South Africa gained independence in 1994, the post-apartheid era has seen the rise of a violent attacks towards other African nationals who are in the country to seek greener pastures.

Underlaying causes

Since South Africa does not have refugee camps and financial aid, asylum seekers who are left to find accommodation and provide basic needs for themselves while waiting for their permit application to be approved or rejected turn to odd jobs or crime for survival.

The length of time it takes to process an application for asylum status is usually three months to six months and in worst cases, it may take up to two years for some persons to obtain an application. This leaves many illegal immigrants on the streets of South Africa and off course, no permit means no legal employment.

While many illegals are seeking jobs to earn a living, you find dodgy employers who are searching for illegals they can exploit for lower wages and in worst cases no pay at all.

The combination of dodgy employers and illegals has left many South Africans who are facing unemployment problems with no option but to protect their territory from invaders. Some have turn to a hate crime, directing their anger and frustration towards vulnerable immigrants who live in their communities.

South Africans want undocumented foreigners who are committing crimes, opening spaza shops (corner stores in their neighborhoods), taking jobs for lower wages and over crowding South Africa’s healthcare system to go back to their countries since the government is not capable of providing permits required for them to integrate and live in the country.

Xenophobic Violence

Over the years, South Africans who are fade up of crimes such as the sale of expired goods by foreign-owned spaza shops, illegal mining, bribery of law enforcement officers, rape and theft of household items have formed vigilante groups to protect their communities.

The vigilante groups combat crimes committed by locals and as well legal and illegal immigrants.

In the course of protecting communities, perpetrators of hate crimes have infiltrated this peaceful vigilante groups to settle scores and act as if this is just regular South Africans who are expressing their anger and frustrations.

The perpetrators of hate crime are responsible for the violence and killing of immigrants. Some of their victims have been to found be legal in the country.

The actions of criminals within the vigilante groups makes the organisations look bad because they have to take responsibility for recruiting individuals with malicious intent.

Some culprits responsible for violent attacks have publicly declared they hate foreign men because they have taken their girlfriends due to better sex life and financial capability.

Many of the offenders claim they have been affected directly or indirectly through scam operations led by foreign nationals.

Pressure groups

Organisations such as Operation Dudula and March and March have been formed by a small group of South Africans to help protect their communities.

Operation Dudula in partnership with South African Police Service (SAPS) has been responsible for closing foreign-owned shops that sell expired products and exploit South African workers. The group has shut down many restaurants that do not comply with South Africa’s health regulations.

March and March on the hand has been heavily criticised for denying foreign nationals (both legals and illegals) entry to government health facilities. Their denying of foreign nationals access to clinics and medication poses a threat to all those who live in South Africa because it can cause widespread of chronic diseases and possible death of patients.

According to Witwatersrand University’s Xenowatch, xenophobic attacks have caused 669 deaths, resulted in the looting 5,310 immigrant-owned shops, and led to the displacement 127,572 persons between 1994 and March 2024.

Resolution

As of now, there has not been any final solution to solve the presence of illegal immigrants in South Africa as the Department of Home Affairs (DoHA) sits with thousands of unprocessed permits.

The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, former president Thabo Mbeki, Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and human rights groups strongly condemn xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals.

Patriotic Alliance (PA) party leader Gayton McKenzie has partnered with law enforcement to do some border patrol work around the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa in hopes that it will reduce the influx of illegals.

The Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) and South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) continue to assist refugees to obtain status in South Africa.

Between 1999 to 2010, under the leadership of former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, Home Affairs and Immigration officials used to liaise with leaders of foreign organisations. During these meetings, discussions took place that helped the immigration department understand the needs of citizens from different countries.

During president Mbeki’s mandate, a hardcopy of the constitution was always handed to permit applicants and this made it easy for foreigners to stay within the law of South Africa.

Nowadays, hundreds of fathers who are without permits and jobs mostly turn to crime to provide for their household. During president Mbeki’s term, fathers who have children with South African women were assisted to do a DNA test and allowed to apply for relative permits if the DNA results were positive so that they could do legitimate work and look after their families.

These days, there are no translators present at Immigration Centres to assist citizens from non-English speaking countries who hardly know what they are filling in their application forms. This increases the number of rejections and appeal cases that cost South African tax payers millions annually for state legal representation.

My brother is a term that has become popular between locals and foreign nationals when exchanging greetings. It was introduced by Pakistani citizens who use it when addressing South African men or male law enforcement officers to beg for mercy during a conflict.

Xenophobia Hotspots

Johannesburg: Bree Taxi Rank and Alexandra township

Durban: Durban CBD, Soldiers Way Market, Albert Park, Umbilo Road, Cato Manor, Cato Crest, and sections of Inanda Road, South Coast Road, and the Burnwood and Greenwood

The perpetrators of xenophobic attacks act independently and do not in any way represent the views of all South Africans and government institutions.