Various political parties, trade unions and social movements at the South African Communist Party’s Conference of the Left have rejected xenophobia and the scapegoating of migrants for South Africa’s challenges.
Delegates at the three-day event argued that unemployment, poverty and inequality stem from structural economic problems rather than foreign nationals. They condemned illegal migration while calling for lawful enforcement and identified monopoly capitalism and systemic inequality as the core issues.
On Friday, Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema described ongoing anti-immigration marches as Afrophobia. He said poor Africans are not responsible for unemployment and service delivery problems.
At the concluding media briefing, SACP General Secretary Solly Mapaila stated: “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.”
