South Africa has become a destination for the forced migration of Africans fleeing governance failures in their home countries, according to Dr. Akwasi Opong-Fosu of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.
Speaking during an Africa Day discussion on regional tensions and anti-immigrant sentiments, Dr. Opong-Fosu said the situation stems from “leadership failure and governance dysfunction” across many African nations, where citizens lack basic employment, service delivery, safety, and well-being.
“This pressure in various countries has resulted in migration of Africans looking for the very basic things that they expect their leaders in their countries to deliver,” he said. “Having failed in that regard, they are looking elsewhere across the world, and South Africa has become one of the destinations in this forced migration of Africans.”
Dr. Opong-Fosu described the resulting anti-foreigner tensions as “victims against victims” of a broken system, adding that frustration is being misdirected at fellow Africans rather than at leadership.
“If there should be any reaction, it should be directed against leadership that has failed the people in terms of their well-being — jobs, electricity, housing, and their basic needs,” he said. “South Africans, and for that matter Africans in their countries, must hold their leadership accountable to deliver the basic necessities of life to avoid this forced migration.”
He called on the African Union to address “the totality of what confronts us” rather than condemning isolated cases, citing “leadership denial” as a core problem.
Godfrey Madanhire, Ambassador of the State of the African Diaspora, traced the root of territorial tensions to colonial borders imposed during the Berlin Conference, where Africa was not invited. He argued that fighting over migration within Africa endorses colonial divisions.
Madanhire warned that continued instability could invite external intervention, including economic sanctions. “There are some in the international community that are looking at countries like South Africa and looking for that very first mistake,” he said.
He also noted that the timing of recent protests, ahead of local government elections in November, may explain why some leaders are reluctant to condemn them, as foreign nationals “are not going to vote.”
Madanhire urged recommitment to the pan-African ideals of Kwame Nkrumah, Kenneth Kaunda, Robert Mugabe, Samora Machel, and Thomas Sankara.
Dr. Opong-Fosu added that scapegoating foreigners is not the solution to Africa’s deep-seated challenges, stressing the need to restore state capacity for service delivery, job creation, and prosperity. “Africa is a resource-rich continent,” he said, “but we need to ensure that national resource sovereignty and its delivery benefits the people through leadership that works for all.”