Arrest ‘vigilante’ ringleaders behind migrant human rights abuses, say coalition of civil society bodies

A coalition representing 160 civil society organisations across South Africa, including trade unions, civic structures and social justice activists has called for the arrest of “vigilante” ringleaders behind the wave of anti-immigrant attacks in South Africa.

The Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign, which was established earlier this month, is opposed to xenophobia and Afrophobia.

In a letter calling for a meeting with the Presidency and the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS), the body said it was “deeply disturbed by the rapidly escalating crisis unfolding in our communities” and called for “far firmer intervention than the state has initiated thus far” to prevent further loss of lives.

It detailed the following list of demands:

•⁠ ⁠humanitarian intervention;

•⁠ ⁠coordination between security and humanitarian teams;

•⁠ ⁠prosecution of organisers and inciters; and

•⁠ state responsibility for public discourse and anti-migrant scapegoating.

Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign spokesperson Jules Eccles said they had a “contentious but fruitful” virtual meeting on Thursday.

“It is our job as civil society to hold government accountable in light of the scandalous situation going on. We can’t let government off the hook and it was tense at first when we said they need to take accountability.

“For example there is talk about voluntary repatriation going on, but how can it be voluntary when people turn up at your door with pangas demanding you leave?”

Eccles said, however, there was a commitment to work together to ensure human rights are upheld.

The body has supported a call by the Kenyan Peasants League (KPL), which asked the United Nations to issue an “urgent appeal” to the South African government for immediate precautionary measures to protect migrant workers facing discriminatory violence in South Africa.

The submission was made to the Special Procedures Working Group on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas.

“Anti-migrant violence in South Africa has been intensifying since April, ahead of a sham deadline set by vigilante groups for foreign nationals to leave South Africa. The KPL request establishes that discrimination based on nationality is unabated and continuing, and that the South African police response is inadequate.

“The high threat combined with the poor state response exposes hundreds of thousands of people to life-threatening situations.”

We stand in full solidarity with the Kenyan Peasants League and with all migrant communities facing the brunt of xenophobic and Afrophobic violence. We welcome and support KPL’s urgent appeal to the UN, and we add our collective voice to the call for immediate action."

—  Jules Eccles, Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign spokesperson

In its joint submission, they said South Africa was violating its obligations under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (Undrop).

It listed assaults and killings, forced evictions, destruction of livelihoods, healthcare obstruction, unlawful detention and searches, hate speech and incitement, children’s exclusion from schools, discrimination based on nationality and state inaction as examples of these violations.

They said South Africa was obligated to take all necessary measures to ensure protection against violence, threats, retaliation, and arbitrary action.

David Otieno, KPL general coordinator, said: “We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in real-time, with hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, refugees, and asylum seekers currently living in terror.

“The South African government has the legal obligation and capacity to intervene, yet we continue to witness inaction while vigilantes operate with impunity. We cannot afford any more loss of lives, security and dignity. We cannot afford more destabilisation across our continent.”

Eccles said: “We stand in full solidarity with the Kenyan Peasants League and with all migrant communities facing the brunt of xenophobic and Afrophobic violence. We welcome and support KPL’s urgent appeal to the UN, and we add our collective voice to the call for immediate action.”