Co-director of the Wits-Oxford Mobility Governance Lab, Loren Landau, says growing hostility towards foreign nationals in Durban is misplaced and risks targeting vulnerable people instead of addressing the root causes of social and economic challenges.
Landau’s comments come after violence erupted in Durban on Tuesday when groups of foreign nationals gathered outside the Durban Central Police Station seeking protection.
The group claimed they were being forced from their homes and feared for their safety amid marches calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Landau said many of the people being targeted are ordinary residents who may own small businesses and employ South Africans.
“If our issues are joblessness, housing, electricity and crime, this is not who we should be going after,” he said.
While acknowledging concerns around criminal activity, Landau stressed that attacks on foreign nationals do not address broader structural problems facing communities.
He added that frustration over unemployment, crime and poor service delivery should not be directed at migrants who are themselves often vulnerable.