Popular South African opposition figure, Julius Malema, has strongly criticised citizens involved in xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals, questioning the justification often tied to job losses.
Malema made the remarks on Thursday at an event marking the 14th anniversary of the Collen Mashawana Foundation.
His comments come amid renewed concerns over xenophobia following viral videos showing violence against African immigrants — particularly Ghanaians, Zimbabweans, and Nigerians — across parts of South Africa.
The Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg recently confirmed that two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, were killed in the escalating tensions.
Addressing the issue, Malema, who leads the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), challenged those targeting foreigners to demonstrate their own economic contributions.
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“I want to speak about the xenophobic and afrophobia that we are practicing here in South Africa today,” he said.
“I want to challenge you who say ‘Zimbabweans take your jobs, Nigerians take your jobs’ and you march, close shops, and beat up people. Tell us after doing that, how many jobs have you created?”
He criticised the destruction of businesses owned by migrants, noting that such actions often eliminate employment opportunities rather than create them.
“You beat people because they took jobs. You closed a shop that hired five people and you say they take our jobs. After closing that shop, how many jobs have you created?” he asked.
Malema also took aim at what he described as a lack of skills among some perpetrators, arguing that blaming foreigners distracts from deeper structural issues.
“Unskilled men, with no skill whatsoever, say somebody took their jobs. The skill they know is to drink and I want to pretend like revolutionaries.”
The opposition leader distanced himself politically from such sentiments, making it clear he would not seek support based on anti-foreigner rhetoric.
“I don’t want your votes. If you behave like that, take them away. I don’t want a vote that says to me, I must hate Africans for you to vote for me. I will never do that.”
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, had earlier called on South Africa to take decisive action against rising xenophobic attacks and the intimidation of foreign nationals.
In a statement delivered by his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres expressed serious concern over incidents reported in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, condemning both criminal acts and rhetoric that incites violence against migrants.
“Violence, vigilantism and all forms of incitement to hatred have no place in an inclusive, democratic society,” he said.
