Dodoma. The government has assured Parliament that no Tanzanians legally resident in South Africa have been affected by the current unrest, while clarifying that the videos circulating on social media and sparking public concern are old clips, not recent events.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, made the clarification when presenting the 2026/27 budget in Parliament on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
He was responding to concerns raised by Mlalo Member of Parliament (MP), Rashid Shangazi, CCM, over the safety of Tanzanians living in South Africa.
Mr Shangazi had sought an official government statement following reports and videos shared online alleging attacks targeting foreign nationals and rising insecurity in South Africa.
Responding, Mr Kombo said the Tanzanian Embassy in Pretoria is closely monitoring the situation and confirmed that no Tanzanians holding valid work and residence permits have been harmed.
“On the Tanzanian side, no Tanzanians living legally in South Africa have been affected. Most of those affected are citizens of Malawi and Zimbabwe, many of whom do not have valid work permits,” he said.
The minister also confirmed that some Tanzanians without proper documentation had been arrested during ongoing operations targeting undocumented migrants in South Africa.
Tanzania's High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr James Bwana, said more than 90 Tanzanians are currently being held at the Lindela Repatriation Center following a crackdown linked to rising anti-immigration sentiment.
Mr Bwana said most of those detained were from Dar es Salaam, while embassy officials were closely monitoring the situation.
Mr Kombo urged Tanzanians living abroad to ensure they have valid documents to ease government follow-up during emergencies and security incidents.