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The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called for immediate measures to address rising xenophobic attacks against African migrants in South Africa, urging the Congress of South African Trade Unions, COSATU, to launch a large-scale awareness campaign to protect migrant workers.
In a letter dated May 7, 2026, and addressed to the leadership of COSATU in Johannesburg, NLC President Joe Ajaero condemned recent incidents involving the killing of African migrants and destruction of their businesses.
Ajaero described the attacks as a consequence of worsening economic conditions and ineffective government policies, stressing that African workers should not be turned against one another.
“We cannot claim to fight for the working class while allowing a section of that class to be hunted like wild animals,” he stated.
The labour leader urged COSATU to lead extensive sensitisation efforts in communities, unions and workplaces to counter narratives blaming migrants for unemployment and poverty.
“We must break, once and for all, the racist myth that a fellow black African from across a colonial border is our enemy,” Ajaero added.
The NLC also criticised what it described as the inadequate response of South African security agencies, accusing authorities of failing to provide sufficient protection for migrants and their businesses.
Ajaero called for the full deployment of security resources to prevent further violence, while demanding the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the attacks.
He also urged the South African government to ensure compensation for victims and families affected by the violence.
According to the NLC, xenophobia poses a major threat to workers’ solidarity across Africa, weakening labour movements and collective bargaining efforts.
“Xenophobia is not good for anybody, especially the world of work, because it fractures working-class unity and weakens our collective bargaining power against capital,” Ajaero said.
The congress further proposed an emergency meeting involving African labour organisations under the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation and the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity to develop coordinated strategies for protecting migrant workers across the continent.
Ajaero warned that failure to tackle xenophobic violence decisively could encourage similar incidents in other African countries.
“Xenophobia is a cancer that, if not excised in South Africa, will metastasise across the continent,” he said.
Xenophobia: NLC calls on South African unions to protect migrants
