Afrophobia Under Cyril Ramaphosa: When the Rainbow Fades Into Fire

 

By Abioye Tosin Lawrence 

There was a time when South Africa stood as a symbol of triumph over oppression. A nation reborn from the ashes of apartheid, guided by the moral weight of reconciliation and unity, as envisioned by Nelson Mandela. The “Rainbow Nation” was not just a phrase, it was a promise.

Today, that promise is being tested.

Across different periods of social unrest, reports of violence and hostility against African migrants have raised urgent questions about the state of African brotherhood within South Africa. Nigerians, Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, Malawians, Congolese, and others have, at various times, found themselves caught in waves of destruction that target foreign-owned shops and communities.

This raises a difficult but necessary question: where is the protection of law when African brothers become targets in a nation built on liberation ideals?

Nigeria, for instance, has often demonstrated strong institutional responses to crime affecting foreign nationals. Through structured agencies such as anti-graft and immigration bodies, cases involving exploitation or financial crimes against foreigners are investigated within legal frameworks. This reflects a principle: law must protect everyone within its borders, regardless of nationality.

In contrast, South Africa’s challenge is not the absence of laws, but the inconsistent enforcement of those laws when violence erupts in townships and communities. When attacks occur and are followed mainly by statements rather than visible long-term deterrent consequences, questions naturally arise about accountability and deterrence.

Leadership, however, goes beyond press statements. It is measured by the ability of a state to protect all who reside within its borders, citizens and non-citizens alike. The constitutional promise of South Africa demands equal protection under the law, even in moments of tension and economic strain.

The concern is not merely about isolated incidents. It is about the message these recurring episodes send across the continent, especially in a nation once celebrated as the moral compass of African unity.

If the ideals of Nelson Mandela are to remain meaningful, then the safety of African migrants cannot become negotiable. The Rainbow Nation must not only exist in history books or speeches, but in the lived reality of every person within its borders.

Diplomatic vigilance across African nations becomes necessary whenever their citizens are at risk abroad. But beyond diplomacy, the deeper responsibility lies with South Africa itself, to ensure that its laws are not only written but enforced without fear or delay.

Because history is being written every day, not only in courtrooms or parliaments, but in the streets where ordinary people either feel protected or abandoned.

And for South Africa, the question remains unavoidable:

Is it still the Rainbow Nation Africa believed in, or a nation struggling to reconcile its promise with its present reality?

Abioye Tosin Lawrence is a Nigerian writer challenging narratives on Nigeria and African relations.