Pan-African group condemns xenophobia in South Africa

KAMPALA - A Pan-African advocacy group has condemned rising incidents of Afro-phobia and xenophobia in South Africa, warning that hostility toward African migrants threatens the continent’s long-standing ideals of unity, cooperation, and shared liberation.

In a press statement issued through the Uganda Media Centre on Friday, the Pan-African Pyramid (PAP), a Kampala-based Pan-African movement, described recent attacks and intimidation against African migrants in South Africa as “deeply painful, unacceptable, and completely contrary to the spirit of Pan-Africanism that liberated South Africa from apartheid in 1994.”

The statement comes amid renewed debate in South Africa over immigration, unemployment, crime, and economic inequality — issues that have, at times, fuelled violence and public hostility against foreign nationals, particularly migrants from other African countries.

PAP argued that many Africans view the attacks not simply as isolated incidents of crime or social unrest, but as a rejection of the solidarity other African nations showed South Africa during the struggle against apartheid, the system of racial segregation that officially ended in 1994.

“No African should ever be hunted, humiliated, assaulted, or treated like an outsider on African soil simply because of their nationality,” the organisation said.

The group’s statement heavily focused on historical ties between South Africa and the rest of the continent. It reminded readers that several African governments provided military support, training, funding, safe havens, and diplomatic backing to the African National Congress (ANC) and other liberation movements during apartheid.

Uganda, PAP said, supported ANC cadres through military and ideological training programmes at Kaweweta and other facilities under President Yoweri Museveni’s government. Other countries, including Algeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Libya, and Zimbabwe, were also cited for their support to South Africa’s liberation struggle.

“This history is not propaganda. It is documented fact,” the statement said.

The organisation also challenged a common narrative in South Africa that migrants are responsible for unemployment and worsening economic conditions. According to PAP, the deeper causes of inequality are corruption, poor governance, and structural economic problems rooted in the country’s history.

“The true enemies of African progress are corruption, inequality, economic injustice, poor leadership, and the continued exploitation of Africa’s wealth by global systems that keep Africans divided,” the group said.

The statement further highlighted what it described as a contradiction between growing economic integration across Africa and rising social divisions among ordinary citizens.

PAP noted that South African companies continue to operate successfully in several African countries, including Uganda, where firms linked to South Africa have major investments in telecommunications, banking, retail, hospitality, and financial services.

The group cited companies such as MTN Uganda, Stanbic Bank, MultiChoice, Shoprite, and Pep Stores as examples of South African businesses generating revenue across the continent without facing widespread hostility.

The organisation also pointed to ongoing diplomatic and business relations between Uganda and South Africa.

It noted that President Museveni is currently hosting a South African delegation led by former President Jacob Zuma to discuss investment opportunities worth billions of dollars.

For PAP, this reflects a broader challenge facing Africa: governments and businesses are becoming increasingly interconnected through trade and investment, while tensions between citizens are growing in some communities.

The group criticised what it called the “tactical silence” of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government regarding attacks on African migrants, although it praised opposition politician Julius Malema for speaking publicly about the issue.

As part of its proposed response, PAP called on African governments to strengthen Pan-African civic education, enforce protections for migrants, and accelerate implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a major trade agreement designed to improve economic integration across the continent.

The organisation also urged schools, media outlets, and civil society groups to promote Pan-African history and challenge anti-immigrant narratives.

“Our message is simple; No African is a foreigner in Africa,” the statement said. “We must never replace white racism with black-on-black hatred.”

The statement was signed by Andrew Irumba Katusabe, the founding speaker and chairman of the Pan-African Pyramid.