MTN Group Chairman, Mcebisi Jonas, has delivered a strong condemnation of xenophobia in South Africa, blaming the country’s immigration tensions on state failure rather than the presence of foreign nationals.
Jonas made the remarks during the funeral of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant Thokozani Damasane in Johannesburg, where he called for a return to what he described as “national consciousness” rooted in African unity and shared humanity.
Reflecting on his journey to the funeral, the former South African Deputy Minister of Finance questioned what truly defines home.
“I was thinking, what is home to Damasane? Because I understand, and 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,” he said.
Jonas described Damasane as someone who arrived in South Africa as “an outcast” but dedicated his life to serving the country and its people. “He immersed himself deeply into the struggles, into the pains of South Africans, and he became one of us,” Jonas said. “In Damasane’s strength, our strength as South Africa and South Africans are reflected. And in his weaknesses, our own weaknesses are reflected.”
Turning to South Africa’s immigration debate, Jonas dismissed claims that removing foreign nationals would solve the country’s social and economic problems. “Foreigners can leave tomorrow – inequality will be with us.
Foreigners will leave tomorrow – unemployment will be with us. Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our police will remain corrupt. “Foreigners will leave tomorrow – our politicians will still be concerned with one thing: being elected and re-elected,” he said.
He argued that the country’s real challenge lies in the failure of state institutions. “The problem is the failure of the state. The state doesn’t manage immigration. It doesn’t manage its borders. It doesn’t enforce law enforcement. It doesn’t manage education. What are you expecting?”
According to Jonas, weak governance has allowed politicians to exploit public frustration for political gain. “When people feel the burn, they become vulnerable to politicians whose sole purpose is to be elected and re-elected. Some of them have no credibility whatsoever. “But they lead marches and tell our people that the problem is not us – it is foreigners.”
Jonas also criticised tribal politics, describing ethnic divisions as a legacy of colonial rule. “The tribe is a product of colonial powers,” he said, arguing that colonial authorities used ethnic identity to divide African communities.
He warned that the same divisions now fuel xenophobic violence. “You would see in the streets, it’s no longer about whether you are from South Africa or not from South Africa. “It’s about the tribe, it’s about who you are, you are not like us, and you are different, and therefore we have to persecute you. “Something fundamental has been lost in our country. Something fundamental has been lost in our nations.”
Jonas further criticised liberation movements for continuing to reinforce ethnic identities. “Liberation movements still sustain this thing of tribes – Zulu and Xhosa – and we sustain this thing as if it is real. It is in our heads. “We’re creating it because it makes us feel big. Identity politics – we must banish them in our country. Ethno-nationalism is something that in this country we must banish.”
Recalling a conversation involving Damasane, Jonas said the late activist once warned a young South African that migration could one day affect everyone. “Damasane said to this guy: just wait fifteen or twenty years. You will also be wanting to leave your country.”
He said those words now carry even greater significance. “As I stand up today, I look at South Africa. The level of oppression and inequality, the level of exclusion of our people, the level of corruption, the betrayal of the dream of liberation – those words of Damasane ring very loud in my ears.”
Jonas concluded by urging South Africans to embrace continental solidarity, insisting the country’s future is inseparable from that of Africa. “We are a nation embedded in Africa.
And without Africa, our growth as a country – economically – our fortune is intertwined with the growth of Africa. “South Africa is nothing without Africa. And Africa is nothing without South Africa.”
He also praised Damasane’s character, saying, “Sometimes this thing called meritocracy is measured in wealth. No. It is values, it is principle, it is integrity. And your father had all of that.”
Calling for equal treatment of all people regardless of nationality, Jonas added: “We cannot judge people by their origin. We cannot determine the legal status of people by their origin.”
Damasane, who was born in Zimbabwe before relocating to South Africa after apartheid, was remembered for his work in public policy and civic life. Jonas ended his tribute with a quote from Frantz Fanon. “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it, or betray it. Damasane understood the mission. And he did not betray it.”
