Will the xenophobic attacks ever really stop?

It’s a question that weighs heavy on the heart. Xenophobic attacks in South Africa keep happening, again and again, like a wound that just won’t heal. You breathe a sigh of relief, thinking maybe this time things have calmed down. And then, out of nowhere, another violent outbreak. Another family terrified. Another African brother or sister looking over their shoulder, wondering if they’re next.

What cuts deepest? The fact that the violence is aimed at fellow Africans. Brothers and sisters from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Somalia—people who left their homes searching for a little hope, a little opportunity. Many of them run small shops, create jobs, lift up local communities. They’re not the enemy. And yet, somehow, they become the target of so much anger and blame.

I get it. Life is hard. Unemployment is crushing. Poverty is real. People are frustrated and hurting. Some locals genuinely believe foreigners are stealing jobs or taking over businesses. But let’s be honest—when has burning someone’s shop or attacking an innocent person ever fixed the economy? Violence only brings more pain, more division, more bitterness that poisons everyone.

We can’t forget history. During apartheid, when South Africa stood alone, other African nations showed up. They fought alongside, they gave shelter, they bled for the dream of freedom. That should count for something. That history should remind us that we are not each other’s enemies—we are family.

The hard truth? Speeches won’t stop this. Meetings won’t stop this. Governments need to step up—real education, real law enforcement, real jobs. But it’s also on all of us. Community leaders, teachers, neighbors, even the person you chat with on the street. We all have a choice: to spread hate or protect dignity.

Africa can’t move forward if we keep turning on each other. Our real strength has always been unity. Respect. Our shared humanity. Until we truly live by those values, the question just hangs there, heavy and unanswered:
Will the attacks ever stop?

Photo credit: Aljazeera