There Is No Xenophobia in South Africa — Consul-General Bobby Moroe Assures Nigerians of Protection

South Africa’s Consul-General, Professor Bobby Moroe, has dismissed claims that Nigerians and other foreigners are being targeted in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, insisting that “there is no xenophobia in South Africa.”

Moroe made the remark during an interview on Nigeria Info FM while responding to concerns over repeated attacks on Nigerians.

When the host questioned whether previous incidents could be described as xenophobic, Moroe cited past cases involving foreigners in Nigeria, including the “Ghana Must Go” era, and argued that such actions were driven by economic concerns, not hatred.

“We only said they should go back to their country because, you know, we wanted a better economy for ourselves,” he said.

Acknowledging that Nigerians have genuine concerns, he assured that the South African government condemns all forms of abuse and that the Constitution guarantees protection to all individuals, regardless of their legal status.

He added that while South Africans are raising legitimate concerns over unemployment, inequality, and poverty, the government rejects any attempt to address these issues through violence.

Moroe also said the term “xenophobia” has become disproportionately linked to South Africa, arguing that similar incidents in other countries are not labelled the same way.