JOHANNESBURG - Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) says that while the government has sought to reassure South Africans ahead of planned protests, it is equally important to avoid a repeat of the July 2021 unrest.
“The damage that was caused to the economy and human life is just too great to have to do it again,” says CEO Khulekani Mathe.
Mathe says BUSA is concerned about the potential for violence on Tuesday.
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Planned marches are expected to take place across the country, with protesters calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
Government has warned against any acts of intimidation or violence targeting migrants.
“Government’s assurances are proof that they are taking this seriously, as they should,” says Mathe.
He says incidents in recent days, where residents have taken the law into their own hands by going door-to-door demanding to see people’s documents, are cause for concern.
“Not everyone is trained to know which documents are correct and which documents allow anybody to be here,” he says.
“That is why we say issues of illegal immigrants should be handled by the police,” says Mathe.
He warns that allowing civilians to take matters into their own hands could result in the loss of life.
Mathe says that, as Africa’s largest economy, South Africa will naturally attract people seeking better opportunities.
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“That happens everywhere in the world,” he says.
What is unique to South Africa, according to Mathe, is the poor management of migration.
He adds that while South Africa has the continent’s largest economy, it has not created enough jobs, fuelling the perception that foreign nationals are taking employment opportunities away from South Africans.