We Are Not the Enemy: A Letter to South Africa from One African to Another.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

There is a storm brewing on the southern tip of our beloved continent; one not caused by nature, but by man. In township corners, across social media reels and in political podiums draped in national flags, an uncomfortable message continues to echo: “Operation Dudula, Foreigners must go.”

Let’s ask the question the cowards will not: who really are the enemies of South Africa? Is it the foreign national who sells tomatoes on the street, or the political elite sipping imported wine while corruption ruins the soul of the nation?

In a recent viral Instagram reel, yet another South African citizen laments the presence of foreign nationals, blaming them for unemployment, rising crime and economic stagnation. The message is emotionally charged and undoubtedly reflects the frustration of the average citizen who feels abandoned, beneath this fiery rhetoric lies a dangerous illusion: that foreign nationals (especially African migrants) are the root cause of South Africa’s problems.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Real Source of the Pain. Let’s be honest: the pain South Africans feel is real. Youth unemployment is above 60%. Basic services often fail. Corruption, crime, and poverty are rampant. But who created these problems? Foreigners?

No.
It was the politicians who promised “a better life for all” and then built palaces for themselves. It was the corporate barons who loot pension funds. It was the system that failed to reform after apartheid ended—a system that now feeds on division to hide its incompetence.

Instead of holding the powerful accountable, the people are being told to look sideways; to blame Zimbabweans, Nigerians, Congolese, Somalis and Mozambicans. This is not just sad; it is intellectually dishonest and morally dangerous.

Divide and Rule: The Old Colonial Tactic. Repackaged, Let us not forget: the first Europeans to colonize Africa didn’t do so with armies alone, they did so by dividing us. Zulu vs Xhosa. Igbo vs Yoruba. South African vs Nigerian. They turned brothers into rivals.

Now in 2025, that same method is being repackaged. South African politicians (especially populists like Gayton McKenzie and others like him) use foreign nationals as scapegoats. They say “they take our jobs”, “they commit crimes”, “they’re illegal.”

Ask any honest economist and they’ll tell you that most foreign nationals in South Africa CREATE their own jobs. They run salons, spaza shops, taxi services, catering businesses, tailoring shops. They hustle, just like the average South African. They are not stealing jobs. They are surviving.

The Cost of Xenophobia. Xenophobia does not just hurt the foreigner, it stains South Africa’s soul.

In 2008, 2015, 2019 and again in recent years, we saw the brutal scenes: machetes drawn, businesses looted, people burned alive. These are not just headlines. They are human tragedies.

What did South Africa gain from these attacks? Did the economy improve? Did unemployment drop? Were the hospitals suddenly functional?

No.
All that happened was blood in the streets and shame on the continent.

According to a 2023 UNHCR report, more than 140,000 African migrants in South Africa live in fear of physical attacks. Children don’t go to school. Families sleep with one eye open. And for what?

To distract the people from the true cause of their suffering: failed governance.

The Pan-African Dream Is Dying. Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela and Thomas Sankara all dreamed of a united Africa; an Africa without borders, without hatred, without tribal or national division. Today, that dream is being poisoned.

When South Africans attack Nigerians, Zimbabweans or Somalians, they are not protecting their country; they are burning down the very bridges we need to build the Africa we deserve.

Africa will never rise if we continue to fight ourselves. No nation can isolate itself into prosperity. We either grow together, or we collapse together.

Who Are the Real Criminals?
Let us talk about crime.

Yes, there are criminals among foreign nationals; just as there are criminals among South Africans, but every society has both SAINTS and SINNERS. You don’t condemn an entire nationality because of a few bad actors. That’s not justice; that’s prejudice.

Let’s talk facts.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), more than 85% of all arrests and convictions are South African nationals. Foreign nationals make up a very small percentage of actual criminals and even smaller when you factor in economic contribution.

Now let’s talk about white-collar crime. The biggest scandals in South Africa’s history ( Eskom looting, Gupta state capture, Steinhoff fraud, VBS bank collapse) were all masterminded by South Africans. Not a single foreigner was needed to pull off those billion-rand crimes.

So, again, who are the real criminals?

The Contribution of Foreign Nationals
Foreign nationals bring more than just their sweat and skills; they bring their cultures, their flavors, their music, their resilience. Nigerian doctors in Limpopo save lives every day. Zimbabwean teachers educate children in Eastern Cape. Somali traders bring goods to rural areas where no one else wants to go.

According to a 2022 report by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), foreign-owned businesses in South Africa contribute nearly R20 billion annually to the informal economy. That is not THEFT. That is VALUE.

Yet, many of them live under threat; discriminated against, demonized and harassed by both citizens and police.

A Message to South Africans. Brothers and sisters, I say this not with bitterness, but with love: WE ARE NOT YOUR ENEMIES.

We come here not to conquer but to contribute. We run from war, hunger and collapsed governments to places like South Africa because we believe in its promise. We believe in ubuntu; that African spirit that says “I AM BECAUSE WE ARE.”

Let us not allow fear and propaganda to destroy that spirit.

The solution to your suffering lies in BETTER GOVERNANCE, FAIRER ECONOMIC POLICY and YOUTH EMPOWERMENT; not in burning down a Somali-owned shop or blaming a Nigerian Uber driver.

A Message to African Leaders. We foreign nationals are not just victims; we are also failed by our own governments. Why do so many Africans risk their lives to flee to South Africa? Home has failed us.

So this is also a call to our own leaders; Nigerian, Zimbabwean, Congolese, Ethiopian: fix your countries. Stop looting. Stop silencing opposition. Stop selling out to foreign powers. Your failure forces your citizens to flee. And that exodus becomes fuel for xenophobia abroad.

Finally: Africa is bleeding from within. The hate we show each other only deepens the wounds left by colonialism and corruption.

South Africa, you are a giant (but even giants can fall) especially when they forget their brothers.

We must reject the politics of DIVISION and embrace the vision of UNITY. The future of Africa does not lie in border posts or deportation vans. It lies in the hands of young Africans, working together, respecting one another and rebuilding this continent from the ground up.

Let us rise; not as South Africans or Nigerians or Zimbabweans; but as Africans, together.

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Pan-African writer, political commentator, and human rights advocate
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com