After the President’s statements… Who is behind the violence against foreigners in South Africa? | news

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged, in a televised speech yesterday, to take action against the groups behind the escalating wave of violence against foreigners in the country, at a time when several cities are witnessing anti-immigrant protests, punctuated by violence, in light of a time limit set by anti-immigration groups for the departure of irregular migrants.

“We will act against forces that exploit our people’s concerns about illegal immigration to advance their political, personal and criminal agendas,” Ramaphosa said, without specifying the nature of the measures. He added, “We will not, and must not, allow groups to use the legitimate concerns of South Africans to destabilize our country by inciting chaos and violence.”

The president warned citizens against stopping people in the streets to ask them to prove their identities, stressing that enforcing immigration laws is the responsibility of the state alone.

Who is behind the wave?

In his speech, Ramaphosa did not name specific groups, speaking only about “forces exploiting fears of migration.” However, press and human rights reports indicate two anti-immigration movements led protests in a number of cities: “Operation Dodola” (which in Zulu means “forceful expulsion”) and “Marsh and Marsh.”

Human Rights Watch had warned in a report published on May 20 of a new wave of attacks on foreigners of African and Asian nationalities, with a “weak or insufficient response from the police and authorities.” The organization explained that the “Marsh and March” movement organized last April and May demonstrations against irregular immigrants in major cities, including Pretoria, Johannesburg and Durban, with violent and sometimes deadly results.

The organization linked the rise of these groups to the deterioration of social and economic conditions since 2024, with an unemployment rate exceeding 43%, noting that these groups make foreigners a scapegoat for economic problems, deteriorating services, and the rise in crime, despite studies that refute these allegations.

Regional and international reactions

Reuters reported that Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi and Mozambique began repatriating some of their citizens stranded in the midst of the protests, and Mozambique said that five of its citizens were killed. The agency added that Ghana has filed a complaint with the African Union regarding the treatment of its nationals, and is preparing a list of assets that Ghanaians lost as a result of the attacks, in preparation for any future litigation.

At the international level, UN Secretary-General António Guterres previously expressed his concern about the reported harassment, discrimination, and attacks, and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights expressed similar concern, calling on the government to investigate, hold those responsible accountable, and ensure that migrants receive protection and justice, according to Human Rights Watch.

For his part, Ramaphosa said that the government is taking measures to address migration, including tightening enforcement of regulations, reviewing laws and working with other countries to address the root causes of illegal migration. He pointed to plans to establish dedicated courts to quickly decide immigration cases, and to replace paper identity documents with more secure biometric digital identity cards, according to Reuters.

Ramaphosa said in his budget vote speech before the National Assembly on the second of this month that “we must never surrender to violence, xenophobia and vigilante revenge,” while at the same time reiterating that illegal immigration puts pressure on public services and undermines efforts to provide decent work.

It seemed that the president’s call did not dissuade the protesters. The South African newspaper Daily Maverick reported that anti-foreigner demonstrators came out yesterday, Monday, in the areas of Boksburg and Benoni, east of Johannesburg, rejecting Ramaphosa’s reforms. They walked under police guard without recording any acts of violence, carrying clubs, sticks, and whips, demanding the departure of all foreigners, not just irregulars.