South Africa recently struggled with protests against illegal migration, which have taken over the country. There was a call for all undocumented foreign nationals to go back to their country as they are seen as people who take jobs away from South Africans. Most of them run their own businesses in terms of hair salons, spaza shops, etc.
Immigrants are being blamed for the high unemployment rate which keeps climbing yearly as South Africa’s economy declines. They were given a deadline of June 30, 2026, to leave the country. Most of them gathered at designated points in different parts of the country, scared for their lives. Even the ones who had their documents said they did not feel safe as this seemed more like a xenophobic attack rather than an exercise that is directed at those who are undocumented.
Some of the “foreigners” have been staying at designated meeting points for weeks. Heavily pregnant women have given birth to newborn babies with no access to a hospital. On the 30th of June, all South Africans watched as all the shops, hair salons, and businesses that did not belong to South Africans closed.
Walking in areas like Korsten, Port Elizabeth felt like a ghost town. All the shops were closed and there was no sign of any shop owners as this area is predominantly a foreign national business hub. Some of these scenes were very sad to watch, as our fellow comrades from our sister countries had to endure this difficult situation.
I personally feel that it’s not fair to chase people away that belong to our sister countries. Especially how they are doing it really strips people of their dignity. However, on some platforms, to have that kind of opinion when the state of our country is the way it is and they are apparently to blame for it, is not a very popular opinion to have. I see them as human beings, not foreign nationals.
We are one international working class. We should respect everyone’s humanity and dignity. We can’t allow ourselves to be divided by the bosses’ borders. The capitalists, not other workers, are to blame for the state of South Africa and everywhere.
The state of the country now does not allow for this opinion to sit well with everyone.
—Comrade in South Africa
Read Fight for the Day When No Worker Will Be Called Foreigner here
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