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ANC by failing to implement Paragraphs “4”, “5”, “8”, and “9” of its “Freedom Charter”, by submitting to White monopoly capitalism, by refusing to decolonise the economy and society, and by pointing fingers at African immigrants as the cause of the poverty and underdevelopment of Black Africans, should be held responsible for the Afrophobia and xenophobia in South Africa! No more, no less.
My charge against the African National Congress (ANC) is that primarily, it is causing the recurring Afrophobia and xenophobia violence in South Africa
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The mythical International Court of Human Conscience and the African Court of Ubuntu are invited to note that since the ANC ascended the throne in South Africa in 1994, violent Afrophobic and xenophobic attacks have been on the rise.
Under Nelson Mandela’s presidency, Malawian, Mozambican and Zimbabwean immigrants were physically attacked in Alexandra Township in January 1995. The immigrants were proudly marched to a police station, from where they were forced to leave the township!
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Under Thabo Mbeki’s presidency, Afrophobic and xenophobic attacks occurred in Johannesburg in September 1998. Then a Mozambican and two Senegalese were violently thrown out of speeding trains on the grounds that they were “outsiders.”
In 2000, seven African immigrants were murdered by Afrophobic elements in their flats in Cape Town within five weeks, on the ground that immigrants want to take over local properties.
In late December 2005 and early January 2006, at least four African immigrants were brutally killed, and their shacks and properties set ablaze in Olievenhoutbosch settlement by locals, who also demanded the police to expel all immigrants. They were blamed for the killing of a local man.
In May 2008, extreme violence was directed against African immigrants. Twenty-one Black South Africans, eleven Mozambicans, three Zimbabweans and three Somalis were killed. Tens of thousands of African immigrants were displaced across 135 locations throughout South Africa. So serious was the violence that the military was brought in to maintain order.
Under Jacob Zuma’s presidency, there were Afrophobic and xenophobic attacks in April 2015, sparked by the anti-Black immigrants speech of the Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini. The attacks which started in Durban and KwaZula Natal, spread to Johannesburg. Seven African immigrants were killed, while thousands were displaced. Hundreds of immigrant-owned businesses were looted. As a result, several African countries repatriated their citizens.
In October 2015, another round of attacks against Black African immigrants occurred in the Primrose and Johannesburg areas. Many immigrants were compelled to take refuge at police stations and in temporary camps then.
If the ANC had implemented paragraphs “4”, “5”, “8”, and “9” of its “Freedom Charter”, if South Africa’s “national wealth”, its “mineral wealth beneath the soil, the banks and monopoly industry” and all “other industry and trade”, amongst others, had been used for the benefit of South Africans, degenerate elements would not have been able to easily organise the unemployed and unemployable to inflict violence, pain and misery on fellow Africans.
Similarly, in 2016, xenophobic riots occurred in Tshwane, triggered by political discontent within the ANC. Businesses belonging to foreigners were looted and destroyed, with many immigrants attacked in the process.
In 2017, an officially sanctioned anti-immigrants protest march was organised, in which immigrants were accused of taking jobs, being responsible for crimes, and Nigerians were specifically accused of being “too arrogant”.
Under the current President, Cyril Ramaphosa, anti-immigrant violence occurred in 2019, 2020, 2024 and 2026. The most serious ones being that of “Operation Dudula” – meaning to forcibly remove immigrants, and the current “March and March” (M&M).
This violence led to discrimination, forceful property seizures, denial of medical care to immigrants, mass refugee crisis, and deadly violence. Currently, over 25,000 immigrants have been repatriated to their countries by their respective governments.
The ANC has not done anything to concretely put a stop to Afrophobia and xenophobia in South Africa. Rather, its governments keep unfortunately rationalising the activities of anti-immigrant forces on the grounds of constitutionality and legality. At best, soldiers are brought in to secure “peace” when immigrants begin to defend themselves. Thereafter, noting concrete gets done.
While barking about constitutionality and legality, all the ANC governments have deliberately ignored the fact that South Africa’s constitution, laws and international human rights’ laws demand that the lives and properties of all must be protected, irrespective of whether they are citizens or not.
Even where illegal and undocumented immigrants are to be punished and deported, common sense, morality, and Ubuntu doctrines dictate and demand that the punishment must be done in accordance to the Rule of Law, not by thuggish, violent and blood-thirsty lumpens!
The ANC, having miserably, disgracefully and, disastrously failed to deliver the fruits of independence and improve the conditions of Black South Africans, regularly points to African immigrants as the cause of its all-round failures. Its gladiators and activists easily blame, vilify, and attack immigrants.
If the ANC had implemented paragraphs “4”, “5”, “8”, and “9” of its “Freedom Charter”, if South Africa’s “national wealth”, its “mineral wealth beneath the soil, the banks and monopoly industry” and all “other industry and trade”, amongst others, had been used for the benefit of South Africans, degenerate elements would not have been able to easily organise the unemployed and unemployable to inflict violence, pain and misery on fellow Africans.
Surely, as African intellectual, Yusuf Bangura, rightly asserted, without the Pan-African support, including the OAU’s institutional activism, “internal resistance within South Africa would have been profoundly isolated. It would not have been enough to end white minority rule. The point is, therefore, simple: apartheid’s fall was not just a domestic triumph by Black South Africans; it was clearly a crowning victory for Pan-African solidarity.”
This brings to mind what Amilcar Cabral counselled liberation fighters: “Always remember the people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting for material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children.”
Worse, ANC refuses to educate Black South Africans on the role and contributions of Africa and the Black Race to their country’s liberation. It never enlightened them on Apartheid South Africa’s destruction of Angolan infrastructures and the destabilisation of its economy, which cost over $30 billion.
The ANC did not educate its Black citizens that Apartheid South Africa’s destabilisation of Mozambique for supporting the South African liberation struggle cost it over $3.8 billion. Additionally, that over 100,000 Mozambicans were killed, one million others forced to flee their homes, about 60 per cent of schools destroyed, and hundreds of health centres closed.
ANC blinded its Black citizens to the fact that the current crises confronting Zimbabwe are equally traceable to the latter’s opposition and struggle against Apartheid South Africa. The damages to Zimbabwean infrastructure, military, and economy cost over $10 billion.
Zambia’s support for South African independence cost it $19 billion, while apartheid-triggered debts were valued at $3.5 billion. Zambia, in fact, paused development and ran a “war economy,” which is currently valued at between $50 billion to $75 billion.
So also did ANC not educate its Black citizens that Tanzania was the home-base of South African liberation movements and exiles. That it hosted the Organisation of African Unity Liberation Committee, provided logistical and diplomatic support for liberation movements, built education and development centres, amongst others.
ANC kept the majority of its Black population in ignorance about Nigeria, where the populace took the liberation struggle as their own. Nigerians contributed $10 billion to the Southern African Relief Fund, while public servants in 1976 happily contributed two per cent of their monthly salaries in what was termed the “Mandela Tax.”
Surely, as African intellectual, Yusuf Bangura, rightly asserted, without the Pan-African support, including the OAU’s institutional activism, “internal resistance within South Africa would have been profoundly isolated. It would not have been enough to end white minority rule. The point is, therefore, simple: apartheid’s fall was not just a domestic triumph by Black South Africans; it was clearly a crowning victory for Pan-African solidarity.”
ANC by failing to implement Paragraphs “4”, “5”, “8”, and “9” of its “Freedom Charter”, by submitting to White monopoly capitalism, by refusing to decolonise the economy and society, and by pointing fingers at African immigrants as the cause of the poverty and underdevelopment of Black Africans, should be held responsible for the Afrophobia and xenophobia in South Africa! No more, no less.
Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: [email protected]
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