The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Zimbabwe has strongly condemned the escalating wave of afrophobic violence and vigilantism targeting African migrants, particularly Zimbabweans in South Africa, warning that the attacks now constitute a serious human rights crisis.
Speaking in an interview with CITE, EFF Zimbabwe leader Innocent Ndibali said the situation in South Africa had moved beyond ordinary xenophobic tensions as migrants were increasingly being publicly humiliated and profiled solely because of their nationality.
“What is unfolding can no longer be dismissed as isolated frustration or spontaneous community action,” Ndibali said.
“Zimbabweans are being hunted in broad daylight, profiled, intimidated, assaulted and treated as criminals simply because they are foreigners.”
He expressed concern over reports that some vigilante actions were allegedly taking place in the presence of law enforcement officers, creating what he described as “a dangerous perception of state tolerance, if not quiet complicity.”
“When vigilantes begin operating alongside police officers, the issue ceases to be ordinary xenophobia. It becomes a grave human rights crisis,” he said.
The EFF Zimbabwe leader also criticised what he called the silence of Zimbabwean political leaders and institutions at a time when many Zimbabweans living in South Africa were gripped by fear.
“At a time when Zimbabweans across the region are living in fear, one would expect moral clarity, diplomatic urgency and an unequivocal defence of citizens,” said Ndibali.
“Instead, what we have witnessed is hesitation, caution and political silence bordering on abandonment.”
The politician further described South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s response as inadequate, saying leadership required “moral courage” when human dignity and constitutional values were under attack.
He accused political leaders of scapegoating migrants instead of addressing deeper governance failures affecting ordinary citizens.
“Migrants have increasingly become convenient political scapegoats for failures of governance, economic collapse, unemployment, corruption and institutional decay,” he said.
“Poor Africans are being weaponised as distractions while the real architects of suffering remain untouched.”
He argued that the anger being directed at migrants should instead be channelled towards fighting corruption, gender-based violence and failing public services.
“Imagine if this same national anger was directed towards corruption. Imagine if communities mobilised with this intensity against gender-based violence, collapsing public services, unemployment and state capture,” he said.
“Africa’s crisis has never been caused by poor migrants carrying bags of groceries and searching for survival across artificial colonial borders. The crisis has always been failed leadership.”
The EFF Zimbabwe leader also praised Julius Malema and Economic Freedom Fighters South Africa for maintaining what he called a principled commitment to pan-Africanism despite mounting political pressure.
“True conviction is tested when defending justice becomes politically inconvenient,” Ndibali said.
He reiterated the party’s long-held position that Africans should not be treated as foreigners on their own continent.
“No African should ever become a foreigner in Africa,” he said.
Support CITE’s fearless, independent journalism. Your donation helps us amplify community voices, fight misinformation, and hold power to account. Help keep the truth alive. Donate today