By Peter Omopo
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has attributed the country’s economic decline to leadership failures rather than undocumented African migrants, cautioning against rising anti-immigrant sentiment across the nation.
Mbeki made the remarks at the AUDA-NEPAD @25 High-Level Business Breakfast held in Cape Town on Thursday, where he addressed concerns over unemployment, economic stagnation, and increasing hostility toward foreign nationals.
He noted that South Africa experienced significant economic growth between 1994 and 2008, reaching an average growth rate of about six percent, but said the decline that followed from 2009 could not be linked to undocumented migrants.
According to him, shifting blame to immigrants distracts from the real causes of the country’s economic challenges, insisting that those responsible for policy and governance failures were avoiding accountability.
Mbeki argued that continued scapegoating of migrants only deepens divisions while ignoring structural issues affecting the economy. He maintained that Africa’s history of solidarity during South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle still shapes migration patterns, making it unrealistic to expect Africans to stop moving to the country despite tightening immigration policies.
He warned that the spirit of continental unity that was strong 25 years ago was gradually weakening and urged South Africans to address economic and governance challenges more constructively.
Meanwhile, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema also weighed in on the issue, rejecting claims of xenophobia and describing recent violence against foreign nationals as criminal activity rather than ethnic hatred.
In comments shared via Sky News on X, Malema argued that attacks on migrants were driven by “extortionists and criminal networks,” accusing authorities of failing to address underlying socio-economic problems.
He further said South Africans themselves account for the majority of violent crimes in the country, challenging narratives that blame foreign nationals for insecurity.
Malema also accused political actors of exploiting anti-immigrant sentiment to divert attention from deeper governance and economic issues.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates over migration, unemployment, and security in South Africa, where tensions involving foreign nationals have continued to draw regional concern.
