The Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has condemned the latest wave of xenophobic threats in South Africa, describing it as a “tragic betrayal of the country’s historic struggle for freedom and justice”.
In recent weeks, anti-illegal immigrant protests across several provinces in South Africa have escalated to the point of requiring police intervention, after demonstrators began openly threatening the safety of foreign nationals and their property.
One of the organisations at the forefront, March and March, has set a deadline of 30 June for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.
Xenophobic ‘violence’
In a statement posted on X, Ghebreyesus said he was deeply saddened by reports of renewed attacks targeting foreign nationals, which have reportedly left several people dead, displaced thousands of families and forced many others to flee for safety.
“It is profoundly heartbreaking to witness another surge of xenophobic violence in South Africa this week. Hundreds have marched on Parliament, thousands of families have been displaced, and lives have been tragically cut short.
“These include at least five Ethiopians killed earlier in the attacks, and five Mozambicans who died in Mossel Bay. Thousands more are now fleeing for their lives,” Ghebreyesus said.
‘Betrayal’
Ghebreyesus said to see South Africa “turn to xenophobia” is a tragic betrayal of the country’s struggle for independence and freedom.
“African nations stood united to dismantle apartheid. Ethiopia proudly supported ‘Madiba’, Nelson Mandela, in 1962 and issued him a passport so he could travel the continent. Other countries helped in many ways, including with political and financial support.”
He urged South Africans to address grievances through lawful channels rather than violence.
“Disagreements and grievances must be addressed by the justice system and the rule of law, never through vigilante violence and collective punishment.
“South Africa deserves better. Africa deserves better. Stop the hate. Protect the vulnerable. Uphold our shared humanity,” Ghebreyesus said.
Misinformation
On Sunday, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration sounded the alarm over a surge of fake videos and manipulated images flooding digital platforms, warning that disinformation is being weaponised to incite violence, drive xenophobic attacks and destabilise communities nationwide.
The committee met in Pretoria to brief the media on progress in rolling out President Cyril Ramaphosa’s newly announced migration strategy.
It said significant strides have been made in implementing the interventions outlined by Ramaphosa in his national address last week. But it raised concerns about the “false narrative” portraying South Africa as inherently xenophobic or hostile to foreign nationals.
“Government recognises that misinformation and disinformation are among the greatest drivers of instability in our communities, and we are confronting it head‑on. We strongly caution the public about the spread of fake videos and images across various digital platforms, including social media.
“These old, staged or heavily manipulated visuals are often part of a targeted disinformation campaign explicitly designed to incite violence, cause panic, fuel attacks on foreign nationals, and unfairly blame them for deep‑seated socio‑economic challenges like high unemployment and crime,” the committee said.
It added that beyond sowing domestic division, these “malicious campaigns are deliberately orchestrated to damage South Africa’s hard‑earned international reputation”.
