Prophetess Nikiwe Apenteng identifies deeper issues behind xenophobic violence in SA — and serious spiritual consequences which call for Christian leaders to arise
I have been prompted to say something about the violence taking place in our nation — the violence directed toward our brothers and sisters from other African nations. Some of the reasons cited are:
• Drug trafficking
• “They are taking our jobs and our space.”
As I have been trying to analyse our reasons for mistreating foreign nationals, I asked myself some questions. Does this mean that we do not have law enforcement in our nation? Is it not their duty to ensure that the citizens of the nation are safe? If that is the case, why are we taking the law into our own hands when there are people responsible for that? How do these people feel when their duty is being taken over by citizens?
Again, on the issue of jobs, is it not the duty of the President and his Cabinet to ensure that there are jobs for citizens? Have we ever asked ourselves why South Africans are not employable? Is it not the duty of the President and his Cabinet to ensure that the curriculum is aligned with the needs of the nation? How do they feel being leaders while their responsibilities are being carried out by civilians or citizens?
Again, why is it that we are targeting our brothers and sisters for something that is not their responsibility? Why are we not marching to our leaders and to Parliament? Why do we keep blaming other people for our problems? When are we going to take time to build our nation?
Again, I looked at the foreign nationals who always suffer because of our frustrations. I have noticed that ever since this violence started in 2009, it has never targeted any other race or colour except black foreign nationals. Does this mean that it is only black Africans who are foreign nationals in South Africa? If that is the case, why only black foreign nationals?
We have been calling them names. We have made them feel as though they do not belong in Africa like we do. We have undermined them as if they are not human beings and do not deserve to live. We have regarded ourselves as better than them, while some of our own people were employed by them. We have slaughtered them and burned them as if they were not people. Their blood is crying out on our land.
I have observed two things about these attacks and violence against our African brothers.
Every time we are about to have elections in South Africa, there is always violence against foreign nationals. I have observed this since 2008/2009. Even now, we are going to have local government elections in November 2026. What does this say about our elections?
I would like every South African to ask himself or herself a question: Does it mean that we need to inflict pain or we need the blood of a black African child for us to have successful elections in South Africa?
South Africa, please wake up! Our problem is deeper than what we see.
Our problem is within not outside.
The problem of our nation is in threefold:
- Leaders who do not have a heart for the people of South Africa. These leaders are selfish and have no love for our nation.
- We have people who keep on voting for them anytime they are given a chance to vote. A few days after voting, they are all over the street complaining, burning properties and vehicles.
- We have a system of education that focuses more on Grade 12 results than the content of the certificate.
Another thing is, when these attacks are taking place, everybody is quiet, including the elders or gatekeepers of the nation. These are leaders who are supposed to speak and act whenever something strange is happening in a nation. These are leaders ranging from the President, Amakhosi, who have authority over the land, church elders, and other leaders in our communities. They all keep quiet as if nothing is happening. Can we keep quiet when people are being killed or tortured? Can we keep quiet when people are mistreated on our soil?
What is the message to South Africans?
The innocent blood of African nations is crying out on our soil. Do you know what the Bible says about innocent blood being shed? In Genesis 4:10, God said to Cain after killing Abel: “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”
South Africans, the blood of our brothers is crying out to God from the ground. When innocent blood is shed, God releases a curse upon the land.
Actually, it is not only the blood of foreign nationals that is crying out on our land. South African blood is also crying out from the ground. There is no sanctity for life in our nation. More than 20 000 South Africans are murdered every year. Some of this blood covers our corrupt activities.
Secondly, we are a hating nation. Hatred is rooted deeply in our hearts. Most of the time we defend ourselves by saying we are not hating our African brothers, but rather fighting crime. That is a lie. We do not fight crime by committing crime. No matter what they may have done, we have no reason to mistreat them. Two wrongs can never make anything right.
South Africans commit crimes too. Have you ever asked yourself this question: If all foreign nationals were to leave South Africa, would South Africa become a crime-free nation? Would all young people suddenly get jobs?
South Africans, we need to acknowledge that we are a hurting nation. We are wounded, and we are hating because of our past experiences. We need to acknowledge that we are angry and bitter. We need healing. We can not build our nation with wounded hearts and wounded hands. A wounded and bitter person blames others for everything. We blame apartheid, we blame foreign nationals, and we blame everyone else for what is happening in our nation. We never admit that we are responsible for what is happening in South Africa. We need to admit that we have a problem and we need help. Nobody can help us if we do not acknowledge the problem.
Billions are being stolen in our nation, yet we never admit our own wrongdoing. We spend millions trying to find out who is responsible, while we already know.
Solution:
There is a curse on our land because of innocent blood that has been shed, including the blood of foreign nationals.
Proverbs 6:16–17 says:
“These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood…”
South Africans, we need to repent before God for the blood of our African brothers that we have shed on our land. We need to repent for treating them like animals instead of human beings made in the image of God.
Exodus 22:21 says: “You shall neither mistreat nor oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
This verse is repeated in several books of the Old Testament, including Leviticus and Deuteronomy. God was speaking to the children of Israel because they understood what it meant to be foreigners in another land.
Again, South Africans, we owe our African brothers an apology. We need to apologise for our actions. Our President needs to apologise to the presidents of the African continent. We can not divide our continent.
There are three groups of people who are special to God: strangers, orphans,widows, and the poor. When we treat them well, blessings follow. When we mistreat them, curses follow.
Again, we need to repent before God for hating our neighbours.
Deuteronomy 10:19 says: “You must love those foreigners living among you, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.”
God loves foreigners. When we hate foreigners, we invite a curse upon our nation and call down the wrath of God. The biblical mandate of God’s people and the Church is to love foreigners, protect them, provide a safe place for them, and help them.
We need to love what God loves and hate what God hates. The fact that we live in South Africa does not mean that we are better than our African brothers. God loves all of us, and His love is unconditional.
Matthew 22:35–39 says: “One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’
“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’ ”
Loving our neighbour is a command from above. It is not an option. It comes without conditions. It does not depend on how we feel. The Bible commands all of us to love our neighbours. The Bible does not say we must love them only when they do good. Love has no conditions. Love does not say, “Because of what he did to me…” Love is pure. Love is patient with people. Love understands that all of us have sinned before God and that none of us is perfect.
We can only overcome the enemy in South Africa by asking God to pour out His love upon us. We also need that love for ourselves. We can not love other people when we do not love ourselves.
Church leaders and gatekeepers of South Africa, we need to arise and possess the gates of our nation. Our nation is at a crossroads. We are living in a time when Haman is digging gallows to destroy our nation. God is trusting us, not politicians. Politicians often care more for votes than for the nation itself. We must refuse to remain silent.
Remember what Mordecai said to Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.”
Compelled by the love of Christ,
Prophet Nikiwe Apenteng
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