South Africans must recognise that the country’s social and economic challenges cannot be solved through scapegoating and targeting vulnerable groups. The lesson of previous Afrophobic violence is clear.

Once violence is normalised, it rarely remains confined to its original target; it spreads, evolves and damages social cohesion and weakens democratic institutions.

The question facing South Africa is therefore not simply how to manage migration; it is whether we will allow misinformation, hatred and fear to drive public discourse during a moment of heightened tension.

The answer will shape not only the safety of foreign nationals, but the character of South African democracy itself. DM

Gudani Tshikota is the Campaigns and Projects Coordinator of the SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition. William Bird is the director of Media Monitoring Africa.

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