African migrants in the South African capital Pretoria have been urged to be “extra vigilant” during an anti-illegal immigration march, amid fears of xenophobic attacks.
Ghana's High Commission advised its citizens to close businesses and stay “low profile”, while the head of the Nigerian Union of South Africa asked its members to stay indoors. Another march is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Anti-immigrant sentiment has gained popularity politically in recent years, with some people believing that foreigners are taking jobs and unfairly benefiting from public services.
But the president said citizens should not allow their concerns to “create prejudice and hatred toward our fellow Africans.”
Condemning recent attacks on foreigners, President Cyril Ramaphosa used his Independence Day address on Monday – which marked the country's first democratic elections in 1994 – to also remind his country of the debt it owed to other countries on the continent in supporting their struggle against the racist system of apartheid.
On Tuesday, hundreds of people took to the streets of Pretoria in a protest organized by March and March, and headed to the Union Buildings, the official seat of the government.
Some people wore T-shirts with slogans, while others wrote slogans and held handmade signs.
One protester told the BBC he was there because of “the influx of illegal immigrants”, saying politicians were doing nothing on the issue.
“We are grateful that we now have groups that have stepped forward to help voice what we have always preached about – illegal immigration is a huge problem for our society.”
Previous protests related to immigration have sometimes escalated into violence, leading to calls for restraint and protection of vulnerable communities.
According to official figures, South Africa is home to about 2.4 million migrants, which is just less than 4% of the total population. Most come from neighboring countries such as Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which have a history of providing migrant labor to their wealthier neighbors.
Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa, sometimes accompanied by deadly violence
(BBC/Thuthuka Zondi)
Ghana's diplomatic mission asked Ghanaians in the country to “give personal safety the highest priority… (and) take precautionary measures” during the protests.
The advice issued on Tuesday “strongly encouraged” shop owners to close businesses, stay away from areas where demonstrations are taking place, and not participate in public gatherings that “could escalate into confrontation”.
Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Olaniyi Abodedele, asked members of his community to “close their shops… stay indoors and not go out”.
“We are all very careful,” he told the BBC's Pidgin service.
“We are in the dark because we don’t know how our government (in Nigeria) will react if any of us is affected or killed.”
According to a Nigerian community leader, both Pretoria and Johannesburg have the “largest” expatriate communities.
“I have been harassed,” he told the BBC. “For us, it's not about whether you're legitimate or not, and that's why everyone is very careful right now.”
“As long as you are Nigerian, you are profiled and immediately you are stereotyped.”
Some protesters chanted slogans and stopped to dance as they walked through the streets (BBC/Thuthuka Zondi)
The BBC spoke to some Nigerians in Pretoria, not far from the march.
A man, who had to close his shop, said he was not happy.
“It's not okay because we're black, we're brothers…everyone comes here to survive.”
A security guard who was unable to go to work because of the protests told the BBC, “This is not what we expected as fellow Africans”.
“It is just scaring us – imagine if we are scared in our own African continent – what if we go to Europe?” he asked.
Speaking about xenophobia in South Africa, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned what he called “criminal acts perpetrated by individuals who incite violence and exploit socio-economic conditions”.
In remarks delivered by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Monday, he reminded South Africans how their struggle against apartheid “was sustained through international and African solidarity”.
The UN chief said he was concerned by reports of “xenophobic attacks and acts of harassment and intimidation”, adding: “Violence, vigilantism and all forms of incitement to hatred have no place in an inclusive, democratic society.”
For more than a decade, xenophobia directed at migrants has remained a political issue, especially as the country has one of the world's highest unemployment rates, at nearly 33%.
In recent years, the rise of anti-immigrant groups such as March and March and Operation Dudula have gained notoriety for their demands to expel foreign nationals from the country.
in February, South Africa's Zulu king Misuzulu Kazwelithini used derogatory term for foreigners And said they should all leave, 11 years after his father urged migrants to “pack their bags”.
Additional reporting by Thuthuka Zondi and Annette Arotiba in Pretoria
(Getty Images/BBC)
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