Thabo Mbeki: “Blaming African Migrants for Unemployment is Chasing Ghosts”
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has fired back at rising anti-immigrant sentiment in the country, saying undocumented African migrants are not the reason South Africa’s unemployment rate is soaring.
Speaking at the Thabo Mbeki Foundation and AUDA-NEPAD Business Breakfast, Mbeki argued that South Africans are targeting the wrong people while the real drivers of economic decline go unchecked. His remarks come as nearly 300 Ghanaians returned home this week following a wave of anti-foreigner protests that left migrant communities fearful.
”Mbeki admitted South Africa faces real problems: high unemployment, crime, and slow growth. But he rejected claims that migrants are to blame.
“We’ve got many problems here. High levels of unemployment, that’s correct. High levels of crime, that’s correct. But the finger is being pointed at the wrong people,” he said. “The levels of high unemployment in this country are not due to undocumented Africans. They are not.”
He traced South Africa’s economic slide to post-2008 policies, not immigration. “We know the history in detail. From 1994 to 2008, South Africa achieved growth rates up to 6%. From 2009, it goes the opposite direction. Undocumented immigrants don’t cause it.”
Mbeki’s strongest moment came when he said those responsible for the economic decline are escaping scrutiny. “The people who cause that decline, they are laughing in a corner there, because we’re pointing not at them, but we’re pointing somewhere else. It’s wrong. The culprits are sitting here. I can even tell you their names.”
He predicted migration would continue regardless of border controls: “The Africans will continue to come to South Africa. It doesn’t matter what you do.” Instead, he urged practical solutions over xenophobic rhetoric.
“You are not going to solve unemployment here by shouting against undocumented Africans and leaving the culprit. People are busy chasing after ghosts while ignoring the real issues.”
Mbeki also reminded South Africans of the continent’s shared history. “We’re together in the same struggle. You can’t certainly turn against them,” he said, referencing how Africans supported the anti-apartheid fight.
About The Author
