As the continent celebrated 63 years of the African Union with spectacular speeches from different leaders, the clarion call of the day centered on ‘Africa’s Unity, solidary and integration’ in the age of globalisation.
At the backdrop of the calls for unity and solidarity is a continent divided along nationalities, geopolitical intrigues, foreign ideologies, race and ethnicities among African countries. For instance, in Nigeria there are divisions between Muslims and Christians while in South Sudan there is civil unrest between Nuer and Dinka tribes.
However, the most disappointing divisions on the continent are in South Africa, where natives are up in arms against fellow Africans in a “black to black persecution” often referred to as Afrophobia.
Since the beginning of this year, a group of anti-immigration activists Nhlanhal Lux, Zandile Dabula, Phakel’Umthakathi and Jacinta Ngobese led street demonstrators in patrolling business centers and residences in the low-cost communities of Kwazulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, and Soweto in “Operation Dudula” to expel foreigners back to their countries of birth by June 30, 2026.
The unfortunate bit of the ongoing ‘Operation Dudula’ cum anti- immigrant campaign is targeting fellow black Africans from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, citing lack of proper documentation, crimes, jobs and opportunities occupation by foreigners.
There is a possibility that some few black foreign nationals are guilty as charged, but the practice of exercising mob justice and exempting other races is so wrong. Africans are called upon to unite beyond the 1884 Berlin-drawn border lines.
It’s disingenuous for Operation Dudula’s ring leaders and demonstrators to exempt whites, Indians, Arabs and Chinese, who are part of the five percent of the 3 to 5 million foreigners, and instead persecute fellow black Africans.
Amidst the anti-migration demonstrations, Julius Malema, a prominent member of the National Assembly of South Africa and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters Party (EFF), has condemned the unfortunate events as Afrophobia.
In his latest interview with Sky news, Malema boldly stated, “There is No Xenophobia but rather Afrophobia!” Malema referred to Operation ‘Dudula’ ring leaders and demonstrators as clownish, charlatans and disruptors extorting black foreigners because they are an easy target compared to other races of foreigners.
Malema has consistently vowed never to be part of a parochial group haunting and taunting other Africans just because they crossed to South Africa in search of greener pastures.
As Martin Luther King Jnr once stated: “The ultimate measure of man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at the times of challenges and controversy.”
Malema has taken a stand at a very difficult time for any politician in South Africa right now, to confront the anti- immigrant demonstrators and risk losing votes in the upcoming elections.
His long desired presidential odds at stake, Malema chooses to preach equality, equity, justice, unity, solidarity, repatriation and economic liberation of African economies in the interest of an independent and united Africa. Malema consistently reminds parochial minds about ‘Ubuntu’ as a key pillar of pan Africanism, where black persons stand united and respectful of one another.
Malema keeps reminding parochial South Africans about the real existential challenges they face from unresolved land disputes, affordable housing deficit, and high cost of living to unemployment.
Just like Malema, I challenge Operation ‘Dudula’ leaders to take the protests to Sandton, Sunninghill, Melrose and Western Cape where millions of Germans and other white settlers in charge of South Africa’s economy reside.
Lest we forget, South Africa is still living with racial, social and economic disparities, because as much as political power changed in 1994, the economic power did not change hands nor did it redistribute land and capital equally.
How can Zandila Dabula, Jacinta Ngobesa and Phakel neglect the fact that 70 percent of South Africa’s land remained in the hands of the chosen few whites. Just imagine even after the exodus of 300 Ghanaians and some Zimbabweans, the unemployment rate still stands at 60 percent in South Africa.
Has South Africa abandoned our common struggle of the United States of Africa, free from divisions, hatred, visa restrictions and trade embargos, foreign influence and dependency?
The persecution of fellow Africans erodes all the historical efforts of Marcus Gurvey, Haile Selassie, Kwame Nkuruma, Julius Nyerere, Thomas Sankara and Nelson Mandela who sacrificed their comfort and lives to liberate and unite Africa.
Africa’s great giants did not struggle for an Africa that persecutes fellow Africans or one divided along ethnic lines or disconnected by foreign ideologies; they struggled for an economically integrated, powerful and United Africa.
Have the current African borders drawn by a ruler and pen in Berlin forced us to forget that we are one landmass despite the partitioning?
Dear operation Dudula ring leaders and misled demonstrators, we still have a bigger struggle of ending raw materials and minerals depletion, brain drain and decolonising Africa from foreign debts that have kept our countries under discretional imperialism. In a world of Afrophobia, be Julius Malema.
The writer is a Pan Africanist and sustainable development analyst.
