Cape Town, Monday 25 May 2026: Black Sash is deeply concerned by the rise in xenophobic rhetoric and anti-constitutional sentiments we have seen in recent months- behaviour we believe has fueled the rise in tensions within communities. When these harmful narratives are normalised- be it from the podium, the parliamentarians, or the police station- when people are blamed for economic hardship, and when hostility becomes acceptable in public discourse, it creates the conditions for violence.
Thirty-two years after the end of apartheid, we continue to face the prevailing evil legacy of discrimination and exclusion on our economy and politics- we must not let it continue to impact our communities. While one in five people in South Africa go to bed hungry, we continue to see externalisation, with a disproportionate focus on border control rather than addressing systemic failures in our country. We have also been failed by our political leaders, who continue to scapegoat foreign nationals for a changing world and global economic challenges. Politicians who reduce complex socio-economic issues to “they are taking our jobs”. Jobs which simply do not exist for reasons that range from global trends in automation to a failure to grow the South African economy.
We must push back against these dangerous narratives. We call to mind the powerful words of Oliver Tambo, who stated that “The apartheid enemy tries to separate us into ancient ‘tribal’ entities and pretends to be concerned about the preservation of our cultural heritage.”
What we are witnessing now is the manifestation of that unfettered narrative where words have translated into real harm and we see the suspension of our constitutional values of dignity, equality and freedom for all.
Black Sash has, since 1958, worked closely with community advice offices in dispensing with legal advice and community support to those who are unable to afford or access formal legal services. We continue to work with over 200 community advice offices across the country. Offices who are acutely aware that the problems they face are not because of the foreigner down the road, but because grandmothers wait for hours to safely access their social grants, and children go to unsafe schools with pit-latrines, and their local clinic does not have a nurse or a dispensary. Problems our politicians are responsible for. We appeal to
our brave partners, including the over 200 community advice offices across South Africa, to continue to do the work of peacebuilding and fighting for justice in their communities.
As Black Sash we call on politicians, journalists, government officials, and community leaders to refrain from using language that continues to ‘other’ people’ and from using xenophobic sentiments as campaign cannon fodder, forgetting that at the other end of their statements are children, mothers, fathers, ordinary people trying to stay safe.
We condemn any state sanctioned acts of aggression by the police towards all people, but especially toward vulnerable foreign nationals trying to find a safe refuge in Durban and across the country.
We call others to challenge harmful narratives and promote responsible, fact-based public discourse and to reaffirm our constitutional values of dignity, equality and freedom.
For further information or inquiries, please contact: Email: media@blacksash.org.za
IsiZulu
uBlack Sash ugxeka ukucwasa nokuhlukumezwa kwabangaphandle.
IBlack Sash ikhathazeke kakhulu ngokwanda kwenkulumo enobandlululo kubokufika kanye nemibono ephikisana noMthethosisekelo esiyibonile ezinyangeni ezedlule — ukuziphatha esikholwa ukuthi sekukhuphule ukungezwani emiphakathini yethu. Uma lezi zindaba eziyingozi sezijwayelekile — kungaba ezinkundleni zokukhuluma, kubaholi bezepolitiki noma emaphoyiseni — lapho abantu besolwa ngobunzima bomnotho, futhi inzondo seyemukelekile ezingxoxweni zomphakathi, lokho kudala izimo eziholela odlame.
Sekuphele iminyaka engama-32 kwaphela ubandlululo eNingizimu Afrika, kodwa sisabhekene nemiphumela emibi yokucwaswa nokukhishwa ngaphandle kwezinhlelo zomnotho nezepolitiki — akumele sivumele lokhu kuqhubeke nokuhlukumeza imiphakathi yethu. Nakuba umuntu oyedwa kwabahlanu eNingizimu Afrika elala engadlile, siyaqhubeka nokubona ukunakwa okukhulu kulawulwa kwemingcele kunokubhekana nezinkinga zangempela nezihlelekile ezweni lethu. Siphinde sehliswe yithemba ngabaholi bezepolitiki abaqhubeka nokwenza abantu bokufika izimpunzi ngezinguquko zomhlaba kanye nobunzima bomnotho wamazwe omhlaba. Osopolitiki abenza izinkinga eziyinkimbinkimbi zomphakathi nomnotho zibe lula ngokuthi “bathatha imisebenzi yethu.” Imisebenzi engekho ngenxa yezizathu eziningi, okubalwa kuzo ukukhula kobuchwepheshe obuthatha indawo yemisebenzi kanye nokwehluleka ukukhulisa umnotho waseNingizimu Afrika.
Kumele simelane nalezi zindaba eziyingozi. Sikhumbula amazwi anamandla ka Oliver Tambo owathi: “Isitha sobandlululo sizama ukusihlukanisa sibe yizizwe zakudala futhi sizenze sengathi sikhathazekile ngokulondolozwa kwesiko lethu.”
Esikubonayo manje kuwumphumela wale mibono engalawulwa lapho amazwi eseguquke aba ukulimala kwangempela, futhi sibona ukumiswa kwamagugu oMthethosisekelo ethu — isithunzi, ukulingana nenkululeko yabo bonke abantu.
IBlack Sash, kusukela ngo-1958, isebenze eduze namahhovisi omphakathi okunikeza izeluleko zomthetho kanye nokweseka imiphakathi kubantu abangakwazi ukukhokhela noma ukufinyelela ezinsizeni zomthetho ezisemthethweni. Siyaqhubeka nokusebenza namahhovisi omphakathi angaphezu kuka-200 ezweni lonke. La mahhovisi azi kahle ukuthi izinkinga ababhekene nazo azidalwa ngumuntu wokufika ohlala ngakubo, kodwa ukuthi ogogo balinda amahora amaningi ukuze bathole izibonelelo zabo ngokuphepha, izingane
zifunda ezikoleni ezingaphephile ezinezindlu zangasese zemigodi, futhi imitholampilo yendawo ayinabahlengikazi noma imithi eyanele. Lezi yizinkinga abezepolitiki okufanele bazixazulule. Sinxusa ozakwethu abanesibindi, okubalwa kubo amahhovisi omphakathi
angaphezu kuka-200 eNingizimu Afrika, ukuthi baqhubeke nomsebenzi wokwakha ukuthula nokulwela ubulungiswa emiphakathini yabo.
NjengeBlack Sash sibiza osopolitiki, izintatheli, izikhulu zikahulumeni kanye nabaholi bemiphakathi ukuthi bayeke ukusebenzisa ulimi oluqhubeka nokwenza abantu babonakale “behlukile” noma bengabalulekile, futhi bayeke ukusebenzisa inzondo kubantu bokufika njengendlela yokuzakhela amaphuzu ezepolitiki, bakhohlwe ukuthi ngakolunye uhlangothi lwamazwi abo kukhona izingane, omama, obaba — abantu nje abazama ukuphila ngokuphepha.
Siyazigxeka zonke izenzo zodlame ezigunyazwe umbuso ezenziwa ngamaphoyisa kubo bonke abantu, kodwa ikakhulukazi kubantu bokufika abasengozini abazama ukuthola indawo ephephile eThekwini nakwezinye izingxenye zezwe.
Sibiza wonke umuntu ukuthi aphikise izindaba eziyingozi futhi akhuthaze izingxoxo zomphakathi ezinomthwalo wemfanelo, ezisekelwe emaqinisweni, futhi aqinise kabusha amagugu ethu oMthethosisekelo — isithunzi, ukulingana kanye nenkululeko.
Ngolwazi olwengeziwe noma imibuzo, sicela uxhumane no: I-imeyili: media@blacksash.org.za