At least four people have been killed and thousands have fled their homes in South Africa as a well-funded anti-immigrant campaign, dubbed "Abahambe" ("They must go"), escalates. The movement, which targets African migrants, has forced thousands to sleep on pavements in fear, with governments of Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe arranging repatriation for tens of thousands.
A New Era of Xenophobic Violence
According to Fezokuhle Mthonti, a cultural historian based in Johannesburg, this iteration of xenophobia is unprecedented in the post-apartheid era. Unlike previous outbreaks, which date back to 2008 and have killed 703 people since apartheid ended, this campaign is well-funded, legitimized by mainstream media, and acknowledged by the government. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently met and shook hands with two protest leaders, urging peaceful demonstration. "This is a new moment," Mthonti says.
Fragile National Identity and State Failure
Mthonti attributes the movement to South Africa's fragile national identity, post-apartheid failures, and global economic crises. Black South Africans became citizens only in 1994, yet citizenship remains precarious. Poor, rural South Africans have seen few benefits from post-apartheid promises. "When there's a particular global economic crisis, there's a turn to fascism, to conservative values, to scapegoating politics," Mthonti explains. The state has abdicated its role in providing economic security, leaving communities to compete. Both South Africans and migrants are "the same folks who are trying to eke out an existence together," she notes, making the violence "more intimate" as neighbors turn on each other.
Historical Context: Apartheid's Legacy
Mthonti highlights the irony that South Africa's wealth, particularly in areas like Sandton, was built on indentured labor and migration. The country is "deeply marred by three systems of violence: apartheid, colonialism, and slavery." Unlike other African nations that developed post-colonial identity in the 1960s, South Africa was excluded until 1994. Historical amnesia post-apartheid attempted to fit into the neoliberal order without addressing tribal chauvinisms, which now resurface as xenophobia. For example, the Tsonga people, a centuries-old ethnic minority, face backlash for being considered illegitimate South Africans. "This is a function of apartheid," Mthonti asserts.
Global Trends and Local Realities
Mthonti sees the movement as part of a global anti-migrant trend, akin to leaders like Bolsonaro, Trump, and Modi. While South Africa remains Africa's richest nation, with a growing Black middle class (middle- and high-income earners quadrupling since 2012), GDP growth is just over 1%, and material insecurity is widespread. "There's a huge chasm between the South Africa people imagine and the one people are experiencing," she says. However, Mthonti stresses that poor people are not inherently xenophobic: "Poverty doesn't equate to bigotry. More South Africans are open to pan-African unity than are not." The blame lies with state failure and political scapegoating.
