MTN Chairman Blames State Failure for Rising Xenophobia in South Africa

Oluchi Chibuzor

MTN Group Chairman, Mcebisi Jonas, has delivered a scathing critique of rising xenophobia in South Africa, describing the growing anti-foreigner sentiment as a consequence of state failure that is being exploited by politicians unwilling to address the country’s deep-rooted socio-economic challenges.

Speaking at the funeral of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant, Thokozani Damasane, Jonas said the wave of hostility towards foreign nationals reflected governance failures rather than the actions of migrants, urging South Africans to embrace humanity instead of division.

The former Deputy Minister of Finance said he was struck by the irony of listening to calls for foreigners to leave South Africa while travelling to honour a man who had devoted his life to serving the country.

“I was thinking, what is home to Damasane?” Jonas said. “I understood very early in life that home is where humanity is. Home is about humanness. It is about the good of humanity and striving for the good of humanity.”

Jonas described Damasane, who was born and educated in Zimbabwe before relocating to South Africa during the post-apartheid era, as a man who arrived as an outsider but dedicated himself wholeheartedly to advancing the country’s democratic ideals.

“He immersed himself deeply into the struggles and pains of South Africans, and he became one of us. In Damasane’s strength, our strength as South Africans is reflected, and in his weaknesses, our own weaknesses are reflected,” he said.

Jonas argued that blaming foreigners for South Africa’s economic and social difficulties amounted to scapegoating and distracted attention from the country’s governance deficiencies.

According to him, xenophobia has become a convenient political tool used by some leaders to exploit public frustration rather than confront unemployment, poverty, inequality and inadequate service delivery.

As chairman of MTN Group, one of Africa’s largest telecommunications companies with operations in 19 countries, Jonas has consistently advocated stronger regional integration, economic cooperation and political stability across the continent.

Jonas urged South Africans to reject narratives that pit citizens against foreign nationals, insisting that the country’s future depends on building an inclusive society founded on shared humanity, justice and equal opportunity for all.