SOUTH AFRICA’S increasingly heated debate over an immigration crisis took a dramatic turn last week as Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema invoked Zimbabwe’s Gukurahundi atrocities while condemning xenophobic violence, even as anti-illegal immigration activists intensified calls for a nationwide shutdown on June 30.
Speaking on growing hostility towards migrants and refugees, Malema warned that Africa’s painful history demonstrates the dangers of ethnic intolerance and political exclusion.
“In Zimbabwe, the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s remain one of the most painful chapters in post-independence African history,” he said.
Referring to the violence that occurred in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland and Midlands regions during the 1980s, he argued that historical tragedies should serve as lessons for contemporary Africa.
“This tragedy reminds us that ethnic chauvinism and political intolerance can become deadly when power is not guided by democratic accountability and pan-African humanity,” he said.
Malema’s comments come as anti-migrant sentiment continues to intensify across several South African provinces, with foreign nationals increasingly finding themselves at the centre of public debate over unemployment, crime and service delivery.
Groups including Lawyers for Human Rights, Amnesty International South Africa and SECTION27 have warned against what they describe as the “weaponisation of xenophobia” ahead of South Africa’s local government elections later this year.
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has similarly cautioned against vigilantism and the scapegoating of migrants for the country’s socio-economic challenges.
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“Migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are not responsible for the catastrophic unemployment, poverty, inequality, collapsing public services and corruption confronting the majority of our people,” said SAFTU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi.
Government officials have, meanwhile, defended ongoing immigration enforcement operations while warning citizens against taking the law into their own hands.
Justice and Constitutional Development minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said authorities were strengthening immigration management systems, including plans to move refugee processing centres closer to border posts.
At the same time, the South African Police Service (Saps) said Operation Shanela intensified nationwide efforts targeting undocumented immigrants and related criminal activity.
According to Saps, 1 891 undocumented foreign nationals were arrested in the past week, while a total of 29 371 were arrested between January 1 and May 17, 2026, through intelligence-driven operations conducted across the country.
The rising tensions have already resulted in unrest in several communities.
On Friday, looting was reported in Kraaifontein in the Western Cape following clashes involving residents and foreign nationals. Police and public order policing units were deployed to monitor the situation as protest action spread through parts of the area.
Authorities advised motorists and residents to avoid affected routes while operations continued.
