People Dancing. Picture: Pexels
Despite South Africans being labelled some of the most xenophobic groups, Statista reveals that mzansi houses the highest number of immigrants among all other African countries.
Recent incidents and the general decline in the quality of life in South Africa have given rise to tensions that have split the country in half. Some citizens have raised concerns, and have urged the government to take action to combat the issue of the rise of illegal immigrants.
Following the deaths of multiple children after ingesting food bought from a local spaza shop, the concern that many South Africans have been voicing for some years has become louder than ever. Locals have continuously expressed their concern for the growing rate of illegal immigration in the country, citing that the presence of illegal foreign nationals is bringing about new issues that disproportionately affect the lower and middle classes.
Nigerians, Zimbabweans, and Somalians are among the top nationalities locals have voiced concerns about. Some South Africans have called for the mass deportation of Nigerian illegal immigrants as according to them, they bring nothing but crime into the country. A report by Human Rights Watch revealed that police officials also believe that about 90% of Nigerians who are in South Africa seeking asylum are involved in the drug trade.
NIGERIANS MUST BE BANNED FROM ENTERING SOUTH AFRICA
NIGERIANS MUST BE BANNED FROM ENTERING SOUTH AFRICA
NIGERIANS MUST BE BANNED FROM ENTERING SOUTH AFRICA
NIGERIANS MUST BE BANNED FROM ENTERING SOUTH AFRICA
NIGERIANS MUST BE BANNED FROM ENTERING SOUTH AFRICA https://t.co/VhzTclE1mZ— IG:Joy-Zelda (@joy_zelda) October 20, 2024
The criminal behavior of many Nigerians is causing a problem for good Nigerian travelers
In South Africa Nigerians are associated with fake churches, drugs ,human trafficking and cyber crime and many being arrested by the FBI and Interpol
— Mbuso P Siera (@mbuso_siera) August 31, 2022
Somalians and Zimbabweans have been accused of taking jobs away from South Africans, specifically with low-income jobs and spaza shops, which have been taken over by foreign nationals. Some South Africans and some political parties have called for the government to intervene as spaza shops have failed to adhere to food safety regulations.
South African Spaza Shop owners like myself check the expiry date and quality of the stock we selling because we selling to our children, friends and relatives, foreigners don’t that’s why they are killing our children. We must never get tired of fighting that our country learns… pic.twitter.com/x71FZjZ2Nc
— Dr Mike Mikia Ramothwala (@MikeRamothwala) October 21, 2024
Tensions are currently high in mzansi as the frustration grows every day, with the potential of completely boiling over. Although statistics show that immigration is not a real issue in mzansi, reality paints a different picture and it is in the government’s best interest to act quickly to find sustainable solutions.
