Xenophobia and lawlessness are unacceptable but community frustrations cannot be dismissed, says SACOFF in statement released this week on the crisis around illegal immigration
The South African Community of Faith-Based Fraternals & Federations (SACOFF) has noted with deep concern the growing tensions surrounding migration, undocumented persons, community protests, and incidents of hostility towards foreign nationals in various parts of South Africa.
As a faith-based movement representing churches, ministries, faith networks, and community organisations across South Africa, SACOFF affirms the God-given dignity and worth of every human being. We reject violence, intimidation, xenophobia, vigilantism, and any form of aggression directed at people because of their nationality, ethnicity, language, or country of origin.
At the same time, we believe South Africa will not find lasting solutions by avoiding difficult conversations. Real peace is built upon truth, justice, accountability, and compassion working together.
Listening to communities
Across many communities, there is growing frustration regarding unemployment, crime, economic hardship, poor service delivery, corruption, and the perceived inability of government institutions to address these challenges effectively.
Many South Africans have expressed concerns regarding illegal immigration, weak border management, abuse of immigration processes, criminal syndicates, pressure on public services, and unfair competition within already struggling local economies.
These concerns cannot simply be dismissed or labelled as prejudice. Communities deserve to be heard respectfully and engaged honestly. As Scripture reminds us, He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him (Proverbs 18:13).
However, acknowledging these concerns does not justify hostility towards foreign nationals, nor does it justify taking the law into one’s own hands.
The real crisis behind the crisis
The migration debate did not create South Africa’s problems. It exposed them.
South Africans are frustrated because they face unemployment, poverty, crime, corruption, failing municipalities, collapsing infrastructure, poor service delivery, weak border management, and declining trust in public institutions.
For many years, citizens have raised concerns about these issues. Too often those concerns were ignored, minimised, or dismissed.
When people believe the law is not being enforced, frustration inevitably grows.
When politically connected individuals escape accountability while ordinary citizens face the consequences of the law, public trust erodes.
When borders are perceived to be poorly managed, corruption goes unpunished, and organised criminal networks continue to operate, communities begin to lose confidence that the state is willing or able to fulfil its responsibilities.
The current tensions around migration are therefore not the root problem. They are symptoms of a deeper crisis of governance, accountability, economic decline, and public trust.
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Anger must not be directed at our neighbour
While many concerns raised by communities are legitimate, violence against foreign nationals can never be justified. No grievance gives us permission to assault, intimidate, threaten, rob, displace, or kill another person.
The foreign national living in our community is not the cause of South Africa’s economic decline. Nor is violence against migrants capable of solving unemployment, corruption, failing institutions, or weak governance.
As Christians we are commanded to love our neighbour, protect human dignity, and reject hatred. Every person is made in the image of God. Every person deserves protection under the law.
When citizens begin doing the work of the State
SACOFF is deeply concerned by the growing number of instances where citizens are performing functions that belong to government.
Across the country communities are confronting criminals, conducting patrols, demanding identification documents, questioning the legal status of individuals accessing public services, and organising around immigration enforcement.
While SACOFF does not endorse vigilantism or unlawful conduct, these developments should serve as a warning to government.
When citizens begin acting as police officers, immigration officials, inspectors, and courts, it reflects a serious breakdown in public confidence.
South Africans should never feel responsible for enforcing immigration laws, checking passports at hospitals, or performing functions that belong to the state.
The answer is not vigilantism. The answer is a capable state that enforces the law consistently, fairly, and transparently.
What must be done
SACOFF calls for:
- Stronger border management and border security.
- Consistent enforcement of existing immigration laws.
- Decisive action against corruption within Home Affairs and other state institutions.
- Strong action against organised criminal networks involved in trafficking, illegal mining, drugs, and document fraud.
- Equal application of the law regardless of political status or influence.
- Legislative review of immigration, residency, and citizenship policies, where necessary.
- Economic reforms that create jobs and restore hope, particularly for young people.
- Honest engagement with communities regarding their concerns.
South Africans need more than announcements. They need visible action. They need functioning institutions. They need accountability. And they need confidence that the law applies equally to everyone.
A call to the church
The Church must reject both xenophobia and lawlessness. We must stand with communities experiencing genuine hardship. We must also stand with vulnerable families who have been displaced, threatened, or harmed.
Churches should provide food, shelter, counselling, prayer, trauma support, and practical assistance wherever possible. We must be peacemakers in a season of division. We must tell the truth about the causes of the crisis. And we must call our nation back to justice, accountability, compassion, and the rule of law.
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