ADAFP Condemns Anti-Immigrant Violence in South Africa, Urges Ramaphosa to Act Swiftly

The African Democratic Alliance for Freedom and Progress (ADAFP) has strongly condemned the recent wave of intensified anti-immigration protests and violent attacks targeting African nationals in South Africa, describing the incidents as a grave threat to African unity and Pan-African ideals.

In an official statement issued Thursday from Casablanca, Morocco, and Johannesburg, South Africa, and signed by Secretary-General Eddie D. Jarwolo, the continental political body expressed “profound disappointment” over the growing hostility toward migrants, calling for an immediate end to xenophobic violence.

ADAFP said the attacks undermine the principles of Ubuntu, social justice, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 vision for a united and prosperous continent.

“As a continental body founded on the ideals of individual liberty, social justice, and Pan-Africanism, we view these acts as a direct assault on the very foundation of African unity,” the statement emphasized.

While acknowledging South Africa’s domestic challenges, including high youth unemployment, rising crime, and pressure on public services, ADAFP argued that blaming African migrants engaged in lawful economic activities is both unjustified and dangerous.

The organization cautioned South Africa against repeating historical mistakes, referencing Ghana’s 1969 Aliens Compliance Order and Nigeria’s 1983 mass expulsion of undocumented migrants as failed policies that inflicted long-term regional damage.

ADAFP called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government to move decisively beyond rhetoric by enforcing the law against those inciting or perpetrating violence against fellow Africans.

Among its key recommendations, the organization urged immediate state action to prosecute perpetrators of xenophobic violence, full constitutional protection for all residents regardless of nationality, fair and lawful immigration enforcement without political manipulation, an end to inflammatory political rhetoric that scapegoats migrants, a revival of Ubuntu and African solidarity, and accelerated implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), including legal migration reforms, visa access, and economic integration.

South Africa’s latest xenophobic flare-up in April 2026 is rooted in a long-running mix of economic hardship, migration pressures, political rhetoric, and unresolved social inequality.

The latest unrest escalated after organized anti-immigration protests intensified in late April, leading to street marches, business shutdowns, threats and attacks against foreign nationals, diplomatic protests from countries like Ghana and Nigeria.

South Africa’s government has condemned the violence and pledged stronger law enforcement, but tensions remain high.

However, critics argue South African authorities have often failed to consistently prosecute perpetrators of xenophobic violence, contributing to cycles of impunity.

The statement stressed that South Africa has both the right and responsibility to enforce immigration laws, but warned that vigilante violence and hostility are not solutions.

“The answer to disorder is not open borders or vigilante violence, but lawful, transparent, and humane enforcement,” ADAFP noted.

Jarwolo further called on African leaders to address broader structural issues such as inequality, corruption, and limited economic opportunities, which often fuel anti-immigrant sentiment.

“Africa stands at a crossroads,” the statement concluded. “We cannot build a prosperous, integrated, and borderless continent under Agenda 2063 if socio-economic challenges are allowed to destroy our shared future.”

ADAFP reaffirmed its commitment to what it described as a “Third Way” governance model—one focused on inclusion, opportunity, and continental progress over division and exclusion.