The country is seeing a dangerous rise in civilians policing migrants. Without firm action, this will only grow worse.
From where I write in the UK, the images coming out of South Africa this month are hard to ignore.
In one video, a Ghanaian man is surrounded and forced to prove he has the right to live there. In another, a foreign national is beaten and told to “go home”.
These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a growing pattern of xenophobic vigilantism. This trend is becoming more open, more organised, and more dangerous.
In April 2026, tensions have again risen in parts of Johannesburg, especially in areas like Yeoville and Rosettenville.
Reports from civil society groups such as Lawyers for Human Rights and Section27, along with reporting by GroundUp in March 2026, describe migrants being stopped, questioned, and blocked from basic services.
A case in the Gauteng High Court in March 2026 made this clear. People were prevented from entering public clinics unless they showed South African ID. This happened in parts of Johannesburg where tensions are already high. The court warned the government to act and protect access to healthcare for everyone. Yet reports showed that these actions continued even after the ruling.
Further south, in Durban, there are also signs of rising anti-foreigner mobilisation. Community tensions in the eThekwini area follow a familiar pattern: threats, intimidation, and pressure on foreign-owned shops to close. This is how it starts. And we have seen before how quickly it can spread.
Townships such as Soweto and Alexandra have long been flashpoints. Groups like Operation Dudula have helped normalise the idea that ordinary citizens can stop people, check documents, and decide who belongs. Whatever their claims, the result is simple: migrants are targeted and made unsafe. This is not law enforcement. It is lawlessness. And it raises a serious question: where is the state?
President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned xenophobic violence in the past. Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has spoken about immigration pressures in public forums and parliament. But at this moment, words are not enough.
The problem is no longer a lack of awareness. It is a lack of visible action.
Too often, the response follows the same pattern. Leaders express concern. Investigations are promised. But on the ground, little changes. Policing is uneven. Arrests are limited. Cases rarely lead to strong prosecution. This gap between words and action sends a dangerous message, that this behaviour can continue.
Even the courts are now stepping in. The March 2026 warning by the Gauteng High Court made it clear that the government must enforce its own orders. If court rulings cannot stop vigilantes, then the authority of the state is being openly challenged.
This should concern everyone.
There are also growing diplomatic tensions. Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said on 22 April 2026 that he had contacted South African authorities after “disturbing” videos showed Ghanaians being targeted. This follows similar action by Nigeria during the 2019 attacks.
Human rights groups have warned about this for years. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both spoke out strongly during the 2019 violence. The South African Human Rights Commission has also raised concerns in recent hearings about growing anti-migrant sentiment.
Yet the warnings keep coming. And the problem keeps returning.
What is also worrying is the silence from across Africa. The African Union spoke out in past crises. But its voice has been weak in this latest wave. Many African leaders have said little. That silence is not neutral. It allows the problem to grow. This is not just South Africa’s issue. African migrants are being targeted. This is a continental concern.
The human cost is clear. Migrants—many from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria and Ghana live in fear. Many run small businesses that serve their communities. Yet these businesses are often looted or destroyed. Families are displaced. Some people are too afraid to even report crimes.
There is also a deeper moral question. During apartheid, many African countries stood with South Africa. Today, citizens from those same countries are being told they do not belong.
South Africa has faced this before in 2008, 2015 and 2019. Each time, lives were lost. Each time, there were promises of change. Yet it is happening again.
What is different now is how normal this behaviour is becoming. When civilians stop people in the street and demand identification, they are taking the place of the state. When this happens openly, and without consequence, it shows a dangerous gap in leadership.This moment needs firm action.
The South African government must show clear control. There must be visible policing in areas like Yeoville, Rosettenville and parts of Durban. Those carrying out attacks must be arrested quickly. Cases must be properly prosecuted. Vigilante groups must not be allowed to operate freely.
At the same time, African leaders and global institutions including the United Nations must speak out more strongly. Silence only makes things worse.
Xenophobic vigilantism is not justice. It is violence. It weakens the rule of law and damages the country’s standing across Africa.
If it is not stopped now, it will grow. And the cost – human, social and moral will be far greater.
