HRA Calls on South Africa to Protect Migrants, Women from Xenophobic Attacks 

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Summary: The Human Rights Association (HRA) has called on the South African government to persecute the vigilante groups responsible for the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting African and Asian foreign nationals across the country.

The Human Rights Association (HRA) has called on the South African government to take immediate action against vigilante groups linked to the recent wave of xenophobic attacks targeting Africans, including migrants and women. This was announced in the organisation’s press statement released on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

The Human Rights Association (HRA) is an international non-governmental advocacy organisation and an initiative of the Cape Town-based WeCare Foundation. The organisation operates across Africa, South Asia, and the Gulf, focusing on due process violations, unjust detention, and engaging with UN mechanisms

Recall that Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu has recently condemned the xenophobic violence while dismissing claims that the attacks were directed at undocumented migrants. According to reports, two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, were reportedly attacked and beaten by officials of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Port Elizabeth. 

According to the HRA, a citizen-led movement known as “March and March” organised the protests against undocumented migrants in major cities, including Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban. The organisation said some of the demonstrations have turned violent, resulting in assaults on migrants and attacks on businesses owned by foreign nationals. It condemned the attacks, urging South African authorities to investigate and prosecute the individuals responsible for the violence.

The group noted that the current violence is a broader reflection of the periodic pattern of xenophobic attacks common in South Africa over the past two decades. It pointed to the nationwide attacks of 2008, which left more than 60 people dead and displaced around 100,000 others.

“The HRA notes that South Africa’s Constitution guarantees the right to equality and human dignity to all persons within its borders, regardless of nationality or documentation status. The right to peaceful protest does not extend to the commission of violence, destruction of property, or deprivation of access to essential services, ” part of the statement reads.

The HRA further stated that the South African Police Service has a legal obligation to investigate the violence, but has consistently failed to fulfil that responsibility during the current wave of xenophobia.

“The HRA calls specifically on the Government of South Africa to direct the South African Police Service to investigate and prosecute all individuals responsible for acts of violence, destruction of property, and unlawful deprivation of access to services committed in the course of anti-immigration demonstrations,” the statement adds.