AfCFTA Secretary-General Condemns Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa

The Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, H.E. Wamkele Mene, has strongly condemned the recent wave of xenophobic vigilantism in South Africa, describing it as a betrayal of Pan-African values and a threat to Africa’s integration agenda.

Speaking on the issue, Mene said he was deeply ashamed and embarrassed by what he described as the actions of a “loud minority of xenophobes” targeting foreign nationals in the country.

He welcomed the South African government’s response and its commitment to prosecuting individuals responsible for harassing, attacking, and causing unrest against foreign nationals, regardless of whether they are documented or undocumented.

According to the AfCFTA Secretary-General, such acts are fundamentally inconsistent with the principles of Pan-Africanism and undermine the vision of creating a single African market under the AfCFTA framework.

Mene stressed that the displacement and intimidation of foreign nationals run counter to Africa’s broader goals of regional integration, free movement, and economic cooperation.

He reaffirmed his firm opposition to xenophobia in all its forms, urging Africans to uphold the values of solidarity, unity, and mutual respect that underpin the continent’s integration efforts.

Story by : Mark Acheampong