African ambassadors have announced a dramatic boycott of South Africa’s official Africa Day celebrations in Moruleng, North West, citing fears for the safety of foreign nationals amid a surge in anti‑immigrant militancy.
The marches’ organisers say they are acting to curb an influx of undocumented migrants, who they claim are taking jobs from locals and putting severe strain on public services, according to The Sunday Times.
Rebuke
The decision, led by Central African Republic (CAR) ambassador and dean of the diplomatic corps André Nzapayeke, is a stinging rebuke to Pretoria’s efforts to downplay recent xenophobic marches and attacks.
“There will be thousands of people attending, and we cannot give these people assurance that they will be secured. We will be putting all the people at risk,” Nzapayeke said, confirming that the boycott was a collective decision.
Protests
The paper reported that the envoys’ move follows weeks of protests in which African migrants were harassed and forced to produce residency documents.
Organisers claim they are targeting undocumented migrants who “take jobs from locals,” but African governments have condemned the intimidation.
A draft statement by the ambassadors, though not officially circulated, expressed “deep concern” over “xenophobic violence, intimidation and hostility directed at African migrants.”
Migration governance
It warned that no grievance “can justify the targeting of innocent persons or the creation of an atmosphere of fear and exclusion.”
The statement urged South Africa to ensure migration governance remains “transparent, efficient, corruption‑free and robust,” and called for “firm law enforcement against criminality” alongside “firm protection of law‑abiding foreign nationals.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa has denounced the attacks as the work of “opportunists exploiting legitimate grievances,” insisting that “there is no place in South Africa for xenophobia, ethnic mobilisation or intolerance.”
The Citizen has reached out to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) for comment. This will be included in the story once received.
Anti-immigration
The ambassadors’ boycott is just one sign of the alarm in African capitals over the treatment of their nationals in South Africa.
Violent anti-immigration protests have erupted in various parts of the country in recent months, including KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and the Eastern Cape.
Durban CBD
On Tuesday, the Durban CBD descended into chaos when civil organisations, political parties and lobby group March and March led an anti-illegal immigration protest.
Reportedly chased out of their homes, scores of foreign nationals, including refugees and children, gathered at the Durban Central Police Station seeking protection.
However, the group clashed with police who fired rubber bullets at them, leaving three people injured.
The group then camped outside the Diakonia Centre in the CBD overnight, pleading for protection.
Africa Day boycott
Yet the boycott underscores growing continental alarm – Ghana has already begun evacuating citizens and requested an African Union debate on xenophobia.
The West African country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said all Ghanaians being evacuated from South Africa due to ongoing attacks will be entitled to a relief package.
The diplomatic snub, coinciding with Africa Day, marks a sharp deterioration in South Africa’s standing across the continent since the era of Thabo Mbeki’s “African Renaissance.”
