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RISING HOSTILITY: Vavi says migrants are being used as scapegoats
The Star
|June 19, 2026
SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi says African migrants should not be blamed for South Africa's broader socio-economic challenges, warning that rising hostility in communities is fuelling xenophobic tensions.
Vavi was speaking in an interview on SABC following a joint media briefing by organised labour federations COSATU, FEDUSA, SAFTU, and NACTU held at NEDLAC headquarters in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
He said organised labour was concerned that South Africa's international reputation was being damaged by rising anti-migrant sentiment, adding that labour federations had received feedback from global bodies on the issue.
“We are worried that we are being painted in a very terrible light at the international level,” Vavi said.
He added that some feedback from the International Labour Organisation suggested concerns about xenophobic attacks targeting African workers and a perceived silence from South African labour movements.
This story is from the June 19, 2026 edition of The Star.
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