Our Viewpoint | KZN immigration crisis
"As June 30 draws closer, the government will be judged not by what it says, but by its ability to keep people safe."
The refugee crisis in Durban and Pietermaritzburg over the past few days should trouble every South African who values the rule of law and the country’s constitutional commitment to human dignity.
As things stand, more than 10 000 Malawian nationals are stranded in a makeshift camp in Sherwood after fleeing threats and intimidation linked to anti-immigration protests.
In Pietermaritzburg, scores of other Malawians have sought refuge in an abandoned building following violent attacks that left one person dead and two others injured.
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These developments have unfolded despite repeated assurances from the government that foreign nationals would be protected and that law enforcement agencies were prepared to deal with any outbreak of violence arising from anti-immigration demonstrations.
While the government has again called for calm, the growing humanitarian crisis raises uncomfortable but necessary questions about the state’s ability to anticipate, prevent and respond to periods of social unrest.
For many South Africans, government assurances about safety no longer carry the weight they once did. In July 2021, following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma, South Africa witnessed one of the darkest chapters in its democratic history, with more than 300 people dying during the unrest that engulfed parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The current crisis raises questions about whether the government possesses the intelligence capabilities needed to identify and prevent potential flashpoints before they escalate.
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Without effective intelligence gathering, authorities are often forced to react to events instead of preventing them.
The fact that thousands of people have fled their homes suggests that preventative measures were either inadequate or failed altogether. These concerns are especially relevant as June 30 — the deadline set by anti-illegal immigration groups — approaches.
The government has assured both citizens and foreign nationals that they will be safe despite calls for foreign nationals to leave the country by that date. While such assurances are welcome, confidence is built through action, not words.
Given the painful lessons of July 2021, neither South Africans nor foreign nationals can be blamed for questioning whether the government will deliver on its promises. As June 30 draws closer, the government will be judged not by what it says, but by its ability to keep people safe.