The University of South Africa (UNISA) has condemned xenophobic violence and targeted attacks against African migrants and foreign nationals. The university warned that hostility towards compatriots undermines the social and intellectual development of the continent.
In a statement published on Friday, the university's Senate stated that its position is based on the principles of Ubuntu/Batho, the Constitution of South Africa, the African Union's framework program on human rights, and international human rights documents. The Senate emphasized that 'every person has the right to dignity, security, and belonging.'
UNISA noted that its identity as an African university is not limited by the borders of South Africa. It highlighted partnerships with universities and communities across the continent, as well as efforts to promote academic mobility, research collaboration, and knowledge exchange.
The university stated that xenophobia and Afrophobia are not just social problems but also affect the development of the interconnected African knowledge system. It stressed that 'the African knowledge system cannot be built while African scholars, students, researchers, and workers from South Africa and other parts of the continent are viewed as outsiders.'
UNISA announced its contribution through research aimed at studying and challenging the arguments used to justify xenophobia and Afrophobia. Furthermore, the university cautioned against using migrants as scapegoats for South Africa's socio-economic difficulties, including poverty, unemployment, inequality, inadequate public services, and economic isolation.
The university stated that 'reducing people to the presence of foreign Africans provides neither an adequate diagnosis nor a meaningful solution.' It added that this 'turns people who should be partners in solving Africa's problems into convenient targets for frustration. Clearly, looking for scapegoats solves nothing; instead, it creates new problems—moral damage at home and alienation from the African countries whose citizens are persecuted.'
