In a world of Afrophobia, be Malema

As the continent celebrated 63 years of the African Union, with spectacular speeches from various leaders, the clarion call of the day centred on Africa’s unity, solidarity and integration in the age of globalisation. At the backdrop of the calls is a continent divided along national lines, geopolitical intrigues, foreign ideologies, race and ethnicities. For instance, in Nigeria there are divisions between Muslims and Christians, while in South Sudan there is civil unrest between the Nuer and Dinka tribes. However, the most disappointing and shocking divisions are in South Africa, where citizens are up in arms against fellow Africans in a black-on-black persecution, often referred to as Afrophobia. Since the beginning of the year, anti-immigration activists Nhlanhla Lux, Zandile Dabula, Phakel’umthakathi and Jacinta Ngobese, under Operation Dudula, led demonstrations, patrolling business centres and residences in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, Johannesburg and Soweto, seeking to expel foreigners by 30 June 2026. The campaign targets fellow black Africans from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique, citing a lack of proper documentation, crime and jobs and opportunities being occupied by foreigners. There is a possibility that some foreign nationals are guilty as charged but the practice of exercising mob justice and exempting other races is wrong, especially at a time when Africans are being called upon to unite beyond the 1884 Berlin-drawn border lines. It is disingenuous of the ringleaders and demonstrators to persecute fellow black Africans while exempting whites, Indians, Arabs and Chinese, who are part of the 5% of the three million to five million foreigners. Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader and MP Julius Malema has condemned the events as Afrophobia. In his latest interview with Sky News, Malema boldly stated: “There is no xenophobia but rather Afrophobia.” He referred to the Operation Dudula ringleaders and demonstrators a