Tbo Touch hits back at xenophobia claims: Those who say I’m xenophobic can all jump

Veteran radio personality and businessman Tbo Touch has again sparked fierce debate on social media after he cautioned against mistaking patriotism for xenophobia.

The #PutSouthAfricaFirst movement has filled the TLs over the last few months, but has also come under criticism from some who believe their pro-South Africa stance makes them intolerant of foreigners.

Touch weighed in on the debate this week, after Cathy Mohlahlana posted a video of people allegedly crossing the SA border illegally.

Touch said home affairs was “throwing toys all over the place on Bushiri when they know we have open borders”, claiming there were "illegal immigrants in SA with no fingerprints, valid identity at all”.

While some agreed with Touch, others labelled him as xenophobic.

The star hit back, recounting a time when he and his pregnant wife were robbed at gunpoint, only to be told that often the criminals were untraceable.

“Those who say I’m xenophobic can all jump. I’ve been robbed at gunpoint with Thuli in her third trimester, almost sustained a miscarriage, and for three years I was told by police forensic they have too many similar cases committed by untraceable foreign criminals.”

He moved to clarify his stance, telling his followers that just because you are patriotic does not mean you are xenophobic.

“Can we please not misinterpret xenophobia and patriotism. Being pro-South African doesn’t mean you’re xenophobic. Everybody must be proud of their nationality! The highest office in society is citizenship,” he said on Twitter.

His comments drew mixed reactions from fans. Some applauded the star for “speaking out”, while others said his comments were dangerous and wondered if it was a publicity stunt.