Thousands of anti-migrant demonstrators took to the streets in South Africa today, shouting nationalist slogans and demanding stricter border controls. The protests, which erupted in several cities including Johannesburg and Durban, have raised fears of a repeat of the xenophobic violence that rocked the country in 2008 and 2015. Police have deployed heavily, armoured vehicles lining the routes, as shops run by immigrants boarded up their windows.
The mood on the ground is grim. Many of the marchers are unemployed and frustrated. They blame migrants for taking scarce jobs and pushing down wages. Sipho Mthembu, a 34-year-old construction worker who joined the march in central Johannesburg, told me: “We have no work. Our children are hungry. They come here and undercut us. The government does nothing.”
But the reality is more complicated. South Africa’s economy has been stagnant for years. Official unemployment stands at over 32 percent, the highest in the world. For young people, it is closer to 60 percent. The pandemic only deepened the crisis. In the townships, where poverty is most acute, tensions have been simmering for months.
Yet the narrative that migrants are the cause is dangerous, say analysts. The vast majority of migrants in South Africa are from other African countries, fleeing war or economic collapse. Many run small businesses or work in informal sectors that locals avoid. A recent study by the African Centre for Migration and Society found no evidence that immigration drives down wages for South Africans overall.
“The anger is real. But it is misdirected,” said Dr. Thandi Ndlovu, a researcher at the centre. “The real culprits are austerity, corruption and a government that has failed to deliver jobs or housing. Blaming migrants is a distraction. It fuels violence.”
History suggests she is right. In 2008, more than 60 people were killed and tens of thousands displaced in a wave of xenophobic attacks. In 2015, another spike saw looting and deaths. Each time, the state promised to act. Little changed. Now, with the ruling ANC weakened by scandals and an election looming, some politicians are stoking the flames.
In the streets today, the chants are angry. “They must go home!” “South Africa first!” There have been reports of scuffles with police. At least 12 arrests have been made so far. The authorities are urging calm. But as night falls, the fear is that the rhetoric will tip into bloodshed.
For the migrants huddled in their homes, it is a terrifying deja vu. Zainabu, a 28-year-old from Zimbabwe who sells vegetables in Soweto, spoke to me in a low voice. “I left Zimbabwe because there was no future. Here, I have a small stall. I pay rent. I send money to my mother. Now I am afraid to leave my house. They want to burn everything.”
This is what happens when the economy fails. Desperation is weaponised. The poor are pitted against the poor. And the men in suits who orchestrate the cuts watch from their offices. The real fight should be for higher wages, for public investment, for a social safety net. Instead, the streets fill with anger. And no one is safe.
