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March and March members protest in Johannesburg, calling for action on undocumented migrants and tighter immigration controls.
Various political parties, trade unions and social movements attending the South African Communist Party (SACP)’s Conference of the Left have rejected xenophobia and the scapegoating of migrants for South Africa’s socio-economic challenges.
Delegates argued that unemployment, poverty, and inequality stem from structural economic problems rather than foreign nationals.
While condemning illegal migration and calling for lawful enforcement, the conference stressed the real challenge is what they described as monopoly capitalism and systemic inequality.
On Friday, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema labelled ongoing anti-immigration marches targeting foreign nationals as “Afrophobia”, saying that poor Africans are not responsible for South Africa’s unemployment and service delivery crisis.
At a media briefing at the conclusion of the three-day conference, SACP General Secretary, Solly Mapaila said the enemy is not the migrant worker, informal trader or unemployed neighbor.
“The enemy is the system that produces unemployment, hunger, low wages, inequality, dispossession, violence and despair. We also appreciate the fact that we condemn illegal migration into our country and call on state institutions to act accordingly.” He said.
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