The recent xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans in South Africa are a serious affront to the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision upon which the African Union was founded. According to Dr. Tony Aidoo, the spirit and commitment demonstrated by the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and other Pan-African pioneers in their struggle for a united Africa are being undermined by such developments.
Dr. Aidoo, a former Senior Presidential Aide and Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation under the late President John Evans Atta Mills, described the situation as unfortunate and deeply troubling. He criticized what he perceived as the South African government’s inadequate response to the attacks, arguing that the safety and dignity of Africans are being compromised.
Speaking on Adekyee Nmu Sem, a morning programme on Ahotor 92.3 FM hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu in Accra, Dr. Aidoo questioned why fellow Africans should be subjected to such hostility and violence by their own brothers and sisters on the continent.
He argued that the attacks undermine the vision of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who famously declared that “the Black man is capable of managing his own affairs.”
Dr. Aidoo also criticized the African Union for what he described as its failure to effectively protect the interests of its member states and citizens. He expressed concern that the continental body has not demonstrated sufficient leadership in addressing challenges affecting Africans across the continent.
According to him, poor leadership, undemocratic practices, and economic mismanagement in some African countries have contributed to hardship for citizens, forcing many to seek opportunities elsewhere while leaving them vulnerable to discrimination and hostility.
Mbeki Defends African Migrants
In a related development, former South African President Thabo Mbeki has pushed back against growing anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa, insisting that undocumented African migrants are not responsible for the country’s unemployment crisis.
Speaking at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and AUDA-NEPAD Business Breakfast, Mbeki argued that many South Africans are directing their frustrations at the wrong targets while ignoring the real causes of the country’s economic challenges.
His remarks come amid renewed concerns over the safety of foreign nationals in South Africa. Nearly 300 Ghanaians reportedly returned home this week following anti-immigrant protests that heightened fears among migrant communities.
Addressing the issue, Mbeki acknowledged South Africa’s challenges, including high unemployment and crime rates. However, he firmly rejected claims that undocumented African migrants are to blame.
“We’ve got many problems here. The problem legitimately led to high levels of unemployment; that’s correct. High levels of crime, that’s correct. But the finger is being pointed at the wrong people.”
According to Mbeki, the roots of South Africa’s unemployment crisis lie in broader economic issues rather than immigration.
“The levels of high unemployment in this country are not due to undocumented Africans. They are not.”
He noted that South Africa’s economic performance and declining growth rates have been well documented and are unrelated to migration.
“We know the history in detail of how South Africa, from 1994 to 2008, achieved growth rates reaching 6%. From 2009, it goes in the opposite direction. It isn’t caused by undocumented immigrants.”
Mbeki argued that those responsible for the country’s economic decline have largely escaped accountability while migrants continue to be unfairly blamed.
“The people who caused that decline are laughing in a corner because we’re pointing not at them, but somewhere else. It’s wrong.”
He further predicted that migration from other African countries to South Africa would continue despite efforts to stop it.
“The Africans will continue to come to South Africa. It doesn’t matter what you do.”
Mbeki stressed that South Africa must adopt practical and constructive approaches to migration rather than treating migrants as the source of the country’s economic difficulties.
“You are not going to solve the problem of unemployment here by shouting against undocumented Africans and leaving the real culprits.”
In one of the strongest moments of his address, he maintained that the actual causes of unemployment remain unaddressed while public anger is directed elsewhere.
“The culprits are sitting here. I can even tell you their names, but we’re pointing fingers at the wrong people.”
Mbeki urged South Africans to confront reality rather than what he described as “fiction,” warning that many citizens are “busy chasing ghosts” while ignoring the real issues affecting the economy.
He also reminded South Africans of the continent’s shared liberation history, emphasizing that Africans across the continent stood together during the struggle against apartheid.
“People are beating drums about the wrong people and failing to understand the organic connection between Africans on the continent and Africans here, because we were together in the same struggle. You can’t suddenly turn against them.”
Alexander Kukah Writes