Report
South Africa: a march in support of immigrants after xenophobic demonstrations
Audio 01:38
Participants in the march against xenophobia in South Africa, Saturday March 26, 2022, in Johannesburg.
© SIPHIWE SIBEKO/REUTERS
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In South Africa, several hundred people gathered in downtown Johannesburg on Saturday morning March 26 to express their solidarity with African immigrants.
Indeed, since the beginning of 2022, several groups have been organizing rallies in the city and in the townships to denounce the presence of illegal immigrants.
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With our correspondent in Johannesburg,
Claire Bargelès
A xenophobic fever affects South Africa,
encouraged by the unemployment rate
which affects a third of the population.
But this Saturday, a counter-movement wanted to make the voices of those who support their neighbors on the continent heard.
At 21, Naomi did not intend to stand idly by, faced with the new wave of xenophobia in her country: "
I think it is above all a lack of information that pushes us to fight against the wrong people, rather than against those who are truly responsible for the destruction of our country.
People are frustrated, really, and they think blame should be found, but I don't think they're blaming the right people.
»
The diverse and cosmopolitan crowd marched through the Hillbrow district, the same streets where, a month earlier, “Operation Dudula” had done the same to demonstrate against the presence of undocumented migrants.
Solidarity Movement
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the country has nearly 4 million foreigners, all status combined.
Janet Munakamwe is from Zimbabwe and she is the head of a network for the African diaspora: “
The system is very bureaucratic and restrictive and it is really difficult for migrants to be regularized in South Africa.
Today, I am very touched and impressed that there is this form of solidarity.
»
And for Alfred Moyo, president of the "Kopanang Africa" group behind the march, the police cannot sit idly by when groups attack immigrants: "
Because we have laws in South Africa, and anyone can't improvise
as a "vigilante"
, and go to people's homes, ask for their papers, and list the undocumented, it's completely unfair and illegal, and we can't allow this to continue .
»
On South African Human Rights Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned these xenophobic acts in a speech, but protesters are now demanding more concrete action.
Nhlanhla Lux Dlamini, head of the “Operation Dudula” movement and who led demonstrations against foreigners at the start of the year, was also arrested on Friday March 25.
He is accused of having broken into a house in Soweto, during one of his security operations.
►Also read: Towards foreign worker quotas for certain employment sectors in South Africa
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South Africa
Immigration
International Migrations