August 26, 2026
Protesters hold sticks and flags while chanting slogans as they march during a demonstration by the “March and March” and Operation Dudula movements marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Johannesburg, on June 30, 2026. South African police deployed to head off unrest and protests on June 30, 2026, the unofficial deadline set by anti-immigrant groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave that has already pushed thousands to flee. Officers were out in force to prevent violence and looting by the xenophobic groups, while hundreds of foreign nationals took refuge in several cities, urgently seeking help to leave. (Photo by EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP)
By TONY ALABI
Introduction:
We are often quick in our divides to defend the arguments for the attacks of immigrants as South Africans, on occasion of perceived immigrant nuisance value and to label such attacks as xenophobia when on the immigrant side of the debate. More so, when earning points reasonably comes easy with citations of cruelty, lack of empathy and poor reasoning to these conflicts. There is the rage and actions taken by native citizens and the rage as pushback by immigrants. Unless this subject matters are clearly interrogated beyond the street level of the mayhem, the individuals already fed with facts upon which they are acting and have always acted would rationalise their actions as appropriate and like wise the immigrants at the receiving end of the jungle justice. Unfortunately, the class of mindsets doing the rationalisation cuts across society from the bottom to the topmost; from the pauper to presidents in the continent and not just South Africans alone. Leaving no room for deep thinking that can lead to the social management of a phenomenon that can be delineated and easily isolated and solved with long term strategies. There are four causal factors to these incessant conflicts between immigrants and South Africans in South Africa. The human factor, the socio-economic factor, the government policies and the lack of pragmatic consensus as the framework for migrating Africans at the continent level.
