In South Africa, the activities of the anti-migrants group, Operation Dudula have continued to disrupt the streets of Johannesburg as hundreds marched through the neighbourhood demanding that migrants leave the country and that jobs go to more South Africans.
A report from Johannesburg says most shopkeepers pulled down their metal shutters and foreign staff stayed out of sight as protesters marched through dilapidated Hillbrow, where many African migrants live.
Controversial groups, the Alexandra Dudula Movement and Operation Dudula recently started campaigns against undocumented foreign nationals and the campaigns have been supported by South African communities who feel marginalized.
Slamreportsafrica.com reported last week that President Cyril Ramaphosa asked South African companies not to employ undocumented foreign nationals to avoid tensions with citizens in the country.
However, the President’s appeal does not appear to have pulled much weight as the anti-migrant campaigns by the group have intensified this week.
“We want to see the people of South Africa reclaiming the control of South Africa … and playing a meaningful role in terms of economic activities rather than being spectators,” said Dan Radebe, one of the leaders of the group.
“You cannot sit at more than 50% unemployment rate and still have room to employ illegal migrants,” he said.
Between 2010 and 2017 the immigrant community in South Africa increased from 2 million people to 4 million people. The proportion of South Africa’s total population that is foreign-born increased from 2.8% in 2005 to 7% in 2019, according to the United Nations International Organization for Migration, in spite of widespread xenophobia in the country.
A reliefweb report says the increased number of immigrants in South Africa is largely due to its middle-income status, stable democratic institutions, and comparatively industrialized economy.
A Pew Research poll conducted in 2018 showed that 62% of South Africans viewed immigrants as a burden on society by taking jobs and social benefits and that 61% of South Africans thought that immigrants were more responsible for crime than other groups.