The African Democratic Alliance for Freedom and Progress (ADAFP) expresses its profound disappointment in the intensified anti-immigration protests and attacks on fellow African nationals in South Africa and calls for an end to the attacks with immediate effect.
As a continental body, founded on the ideals of individual liberty, social justice, and Pan-Africanism, we view these acts as a direct assault on the very foundation of African unity, the time tested value of Ubuntu, and our collective forward march to “the Africa We Want” as spelt out in the AU’s Agenda 2063.
While ADAFP is not oblivious of the undercurrents such as high unemployment rates among South African youth, increasing crime rates and pressure on public services, putting the blame on fellow African nationals engaged in legitimate enterprise in South Africa is most untenable.
It is trite learning that whenever economies fail, leaving expectations of citizens unmet, the foreign economic migrant becomes fair game. The devastating effects of Ghana’s Aliens Compliance Order of 1969 and President Shehu Shagari of Nigeria’s Executive Order of 1983, which forced over two million undocumented migrants out of Nigeria, remain abiding lessons that must guide South Africa.
To that end, the ADAFP calls for the following immediate actions:
Definitive State Action: We urge President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government to move beyond rhetoric to law enforcement where those inciting the violent attacks on fellow Africans would be brought to book.
Protection of All Residents: South Africa belongs to all who live in it, as enshrined in its Constitution. The state must honour its sacred duty to protect lives and property of all inhabitants, regardless of their country of origin, while the needed reforms to bridge the economic disparities are delivered with a sense of urgency to cure the scarcity mindset fuelling the attacks.
Upholding Legal Migration and the Rule of Law: South Africa must stand firm on legal migration pathways. While we condemn all acts of xenophobic violence, we equally affirm that South Africa has the right and duty to enforce its immigration laws without prejudice or political manipulation. All individuals entering, residing in, or conducting business within its borders must do so in accordance with the law, as would be required in any other jurisdiction. Upholding these laws fairly and consistently strengthens public trust, deters abuse of systems, and distinguishes between legitimate migrants and those outside legal frameworks.
The answer to disorder is not open borders or vigilante violence, but lawful, transparent, and humane enforcement.
A Shift in Political Rhetoric: We also condemn the “normalisation of hostility” used by some political actors to scapegoat migrants for systemic failures in service delivery and economic opportunity. True progress requires addressing corruption and inequality. It would not come by attacks on fellow Africans.
Revival of Ubuntu: We call on the citizens of South Africa to rediscover the spirit of Ubuntu the fundamental understanding that our humanity is inextricably bound to one another.
Strengthening Intra-African Trade and Legal Migration Pathways: Beyond immediate responses, we must address the root causes of anti-immigrant sentiment by building a truly integrated continent. The ADAFP calls on all AU member states to accelerate the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), including its critical provisions on visas, currency harmonisation, and immigration issues. A continent where Africans can move, trade, and work legally and freely across borders will reduce the desperation that fuels xenophobia and create shared prosperity.
Africa stands at a crossroads. We cannot build a prosperous, integrated, and “borderless” continent under Agenda 2063 if we allow the present socio-economic challenges to consume our shared future. The ADAFP remains committed to a “Third Way” of governance one that replaces exclusion with opportunity and hatred with progress.
