MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas has issued a stern rebuke regarding the rise of anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa, asserting that the nation’s economic prosperity is fundamentally linked to the broader African continent. During the funeral of Zimbabwean activist Thokozani Damasane, Jonas argued that blaming foreign nationals for South Africa’s systemic failures is a political distraction.
Jonas emphasized that the country’s persistent challenges—including high unemployment, economic inequality, and police corruption—would remain even if all foreign residents were to depart. He accused local political leaders of exploiting these issues by using immigrants as convenient scapegoats to obscure government inefficiency and poor border control.
The speech highlights the risks faced by South African corporations, such as the Johannesburg-based telecommunications giant MTN, which faces potential backlash and boycotts in key markets like Nigeria when xenophobic violence erupts at home. Jonas stressed that South Africa’s growth is inseparable from the health of the entire continent, urging a move away from the divisive, colonial-era focus on tribalism and ethno-nationalism. Instead, he called for a return to a shared national consciousness based on integrity and human value rather than national origin.
