LA SUITE APRÈS LA PUBLICITÉ

MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas has strongly condemned the rising anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa, asserting that xenophobia is a direct consequence of state failure rather than immigration itself.

Speaking at the funeral of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant Thokozani Damasane in Johannesburg, Jonas argued that blaming foreign nationals for South Africa’s deep socioeconomic struggles is a dangerous distraction. He noted that if all foreigners were to leave tomorrow, the country’s foundational crises—including severe inequality, high unemployment, and institutional corruption—would still remain completely unaddressed.

According to Jonas, South Africa’s ongoing social cohesion challenges stem primarily from structural governance weaknesses, poor border management, ineffective law enforcement, and systemic failures in public service delivery. He warned that citizens frustrated by these economic hardships are increasingly being manipulated by political actors who use immigrants as convenient scapegoats for electoral gains. Jonas also criticized tribalism and ethnic nationalism, calling them divisive, colonial-era constructs that actively undermine modern African unity and fuel xenophobic attitudes across local communities.

The MTN Chairman urged South Africans to reject identity-based politics and instead embrace a broader continental identity, emphasizing that South Africa’s economic prosperity is inextricably linked to the rest of Africa. These remarks carry profound weight given MTN’s extensive business footprint as a telecommunications giant operating across 19 African markets. Jonas used the life of the late Damasane—who moved from Zimbabwe to South Africa post-apartheid to dedicate his life to public service—as a powerful example of how identity should be defined by shared values and community contributions rather than a person’s place of origin.

This high-level corporate intervention aligns with recent warnings from MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita, who cautioned against growing calls to boycott pan-African businesses. Mupita emphasized that targeting cross-border companies threatens youth employment, stalls digital transformation, and actively damages the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area – AfCFTA.

The collective warnings from MTN’s leadership arrive at a critical juncture, as anti-immigrant protesters in South Africa have recently issued a June 30 deadline demanding that all foreign nationals leave the country.