Abahambe campaign masks xenophobia and patriotism

Ghanaian nationals stand at the check-in desk for an evacuation flight at OR Tambo International Airport in Ekurhuleni on May 27, 2026. Ghana on May 26, announced it was evacuating 300 citizens from South Africa, after an upsurge in xenophobic incidents across the country in recent weeks. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP) Last week, over 300 Ghanaians left South Africa and went back home, involuntarily so.

It was found most of them hadoverstayed their welcome in this countryand thus fell into the category of “illegal immigrants”, as defined by those wanting foreign nationals to leave South Africa by their 30 June deadline. The truth, though, is among those who left are people who were in the country legitimately but feared for their lives. Their fear is genuine because they know the violence that can accompany being mistakenly labelled an illegal immigrant.

And that is the grave injustice of government allowing lawlessness to reign supreme in thisAbahambe(foreign nationals must leave) campaign. A narrative has now been developed that seeks to demonise people who use the word xenophobia to describe the motivation of those who want foreign nationals to leave the country. Anyone who calls for a sensible approach to deal with immigration is labelled unpatriotic.

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There is a dangerous marrying of toxic patriotism and ethnic bravado that has seenAmabuthobeing bussed to hotspots across the country to beef up efforts to drive foreign nationals out. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a chaotic immigration system to be regulated and organised. A visitor to any country must know what they are entitled to in that country and what they can and cannot do while in that country. They must know the privilege they have been granted to visit that country can be revoked at any time.

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