{"id":214432,"date":"2026-05-01T18:48:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/214432\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T18:48:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:48:18","slug":"zwelinzima-vavi-slams-anti-migrant-protests-as-a-dishonest-diversion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/214432\/","title":{"rendered":"Zwelinzima Vavi slams anti-migrant protests as a \u2018dishonest diversion\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has criticised recent protests<\/a> across the country, accusing organisers of diverting public attention away from the nation\u2019s systemic failures.<\/p>\n

Two marches took place in Gauteng this week. The March and March Movement led an anti-illegal migration demonstration<\/a> demanding the removal of undocumented foreigners. <\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Vavi joined the Communication Workers Union and post office employees march in Pretoria. Their march focused on the challenges at the Post Office (SAPO), such as retrenchments and low salaries.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the sidelines of the protest, Vavi dismissed the campaign against undocumented migrants as \u201cdishonest\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis issue of illegal migrants is a dishonest campaign,\u201d Vavi said. \u201cTheir target is not illegal migrants; their target is all migrants. This is xenophobia in its purest form, and all progressive people must reject it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today (29.04.26), three unions marched on the offices of the Minister of Communications. Their message was clear: the South African Post Office is being destroyed, not by accident, but through sustained neglect, corruption, privatisation and commercialisation.<\/p>\n

In 1994, the Post\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/63nSQ5bD0s<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Zwelinzima Vavi (@Zwelinzima1) April 29, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Vavi argued that such movements redirect the frustrations of the working class toward vulnerable groups rather than the \u201creal enemy\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a diversion in the sense that, instead of those people reinforcing our march against job losses in the post office \u2014 which have absolutely nothing to do with migration \u2014 they are focusing elsewhere,\u201d Vavi said. \u201cThe collapse of the post office is due to the government\u2019s wrong policy choices, commercialisation, privatisation, corruption and neglect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vavi accused organisers of using migrants as scapegoats for the country\u2019s broader failures.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of directing justified anger at those who have abandoned their historic mission, a dangerous narrative is being promoted. It diverts attention away from the architects of this collapse,\u201d he said. \u201cIt frames the migration crisis as if it is responsible for mass unemployment and the degrading poverty that makes South Africa one of the most unequal societies in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

He highlighted that the protests have racial and ethnic undertones, noting that demonstrators often ignore white-owned companies to target black migrants. He referenced recent anti-migrant protests in KwaZulu-Natal that turned violent. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the process, they beat up people from Limpopo, accusing them of being migrants. They don\u2019t care whether those people are here legally or illegally. Anyone who cannot speak a particular language from a particular province gets beaten up. We cannot associate ourselves with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vavi called for worker unity to address the imminent collapse of public services. He emphasised that the loss of SAPO would affect rural communities that rely on its services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the real enemy,\u201d Vavi emphasised. \u201cThe real enemy is that we have millions of people unemployed in this economy, and that has nothing to do with migration. It has everything to do with the wrong policy choices pursued by the government.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Vavi acknowledged the challenges posed by illegal immigration and crime, he warned against generalisations.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, there is migration, and there are intolerable acts of criminality, including those committed by migrants. We must isolate and arrest those individuals. But we cannot generalise and say all Xhosas are a problem, all Zulus are a problem, or all migrants \u2014 whether they are here legally or illegally \u2014 are the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

TimesLIVE<\/p>\n