Foreign nationals in Pretoria, South Africa (SA), were urged to remain vigilant this Wednesday during an anti-illegal immigration march, amid fears of possible xenophobic attacks.
Diplomatic missions moved quickly to issue safety warnings. Ghana’s High Commission in SA advised its citizens to close businesses and keep a low profile, while the Nigerian Union of SA urged its members to remain indoors as a precautionary measure.
The developments come as anti-migrant sentiment continues to surface in parts of SA, where foreigners are sometimes blamed for unemployment pressures and strained public services, claims that have fuelled recurring tensions in recent years.
Official figures show SA is home to about 2.4 million migrants, representing just under 4% of the population. Many come from neighbouring countries, including Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which have long been key sources of migrant labour for Africa’s most industrialised economy.
–ChannelAfrica–
