By Rédaction Africanews with AFP
Speaking ahead of planned nationwide marches on 30 June, the leader of South Africa’s anti-illegal immigrant group, March and March, has insisted that the movement is peaceful.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma said that any potential lawlessness must be blamed on the failure of state policing and border control.
“If anyone wants to point a finger at someone who must take responsibility, start with those who allowed illegal immigration in the first place. Those are the ones who must take responsibility for anything that happens on the 30th,” she said.
The movement has imposed an end-of-the-month deadline for undocumented foreigners in the country to “self-deport”.
Its ultimatum has no legal backing but has already led thousands of people from other African nations including Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique to flee.
Ngobese-Zuma said people should not point a finger at the movement for the troubles facing the country.
“We have put our head on the block here, and everyone in the world is looking at us, calling us hateful things, swearing at us,” she said.
“And the government is acting as if this issue of illegal immigration is our problem. It’s not our problem that there’s illegal immigrants in the country, we didn’t invite anyone.”
Despite claims that the movement is peaceful, there have been numerous reports of violence across the country linked to anti-foreigner tensions.
Ngobese-Zuma said all they are asking is for undocumented immigrants to return to their countries so that limited resources can benefit poor and vulnerable South Africans.
With the official unemployment rate above 30 per cent, the collective grouping March and March and over 20 civic organisations say foreigners are taking scarce jobs and resources.
“A success for us will be the government looking at South Africans, and saying we’ve heard you, we will do what you have asked us which is to prioritise you,” she said.
Growing anti-immigrant tensions, fuelled by a torrent of online hate, are blamed for the killings of two Mozambicans more than a week ago and various other incidents against foreigners.
Foreign nationals have told of intimidation and beatings by mobs going door-to-door to tell them to leave by 30 June.
This has raised fears of a repeat of the bloodshed that has marked previous flare-ups of anti-migrant sentiment in South Africa.
Law enforcement has been ramped up ahead of nationwide anti-immigrant marches due to take place on the 30th.
The flare-up comes as campaigning starts for the local government elections, when President Cyril Ramaphosa’s long-dominant ANC party is expected to face another drubbing after losing its national majority in 2024.
