SA politicians who use xenophobia to garner votes are playing a perilous game

Daily Maverick · May 24, 2026 · 1135 words · By Stephen Grootes

Governance Failure Xenophobia and Immigration Political Opportunism

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-24-sa-politicians-who-use-xenoph…

psychologyDetected Techniques

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Loaded Language 95% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

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Name Calling / Labeling 75% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

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Doubt 85% confidence

Questioning the credibility of a source or claim without providing evidence.

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Exaggeration / Hyperbole 80% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

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Scapegoating 90% confidence

Blaming a person or group for problems they did not cause.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

22 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 12

check_circle Corroborated 6

verified Verified By Reference 2

info Single Source 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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“Over the last few months, the March and March movement has held regular protests in the Durban CBD.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general definitions of the month of March and general information about Durban, but no mention of a 'March and March movement' or their protests in the CBD.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Durban ( DUR-bən; Zulu: eThekwini, from itheku meaning 'bay, lagoon') is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the province of KwaZulu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durban

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The M4 is a north–south metropolitan route in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and partially in the KwaDukuza Local Municipality, South Africa. It runs from the N2 at the defunct Durban Interna…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_(Durban)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Musgrave is a central suburb of Durban, South Africa. It is situated inland and north-west of the Durban CBD, and forms part of the suburban belt known as the Berea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musgrave,_Durban

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Last week, a group of foreign nationals, saying they feared for their lives, camped outside the Durban Central Police Station.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that foreign nationals gathered at the Durban Central police station before moving to the Diakonia Centre.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Mayville is an area west of central Durban, South Africa. It has a post office, a police station and primary schools. It has a significant Indian population, who were targeted by the apartheid Group A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayville,_Durban

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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“police refused to allow them to stay and used physical force to disperse them.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results indicate that the group moved to the Diakonia Centre after being at the police station, and other results mention 'fisticuffs' and tensions, implying a forced dispersal or conflict at the station.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a P…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Police_Service

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Notable cases of police brutality have occurred in various countries. close
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_brutality_by_country

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“They then went to the Diakonia Centre, saying they wanted to speak to officials at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm foreign nationals gathered at the Diakonia Centre in Durban seeking refuge and waiting for processing.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a timeline of the presence of Eastern Orthodoxy in Greece from 2008. The history of Greece traditionally encompasses the study of the Greek people, the areas they ruled historically, as well a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Eastern_Orthodoxy_…

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web search NEUTRAL — Police are seen at the Diakonia Centre in central Durban where hundreds of foreign nationals are there seeking refuge on 21 May 2026.The group had gathered at Diakonia for the past 2 days, after going…
https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/most-foreign-nationals-at-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Foreign nationals at the Diakonia Centre wait to be processed by home affairs officials.Protesters outside the Diakonia Centre in Durban on Thursday. (Sandile Ndlovu). “We have spoken to the head of t…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-21-in-…

+ 1 more evidence source

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“On Thursday, several people from March and March and MK arrived at the Diakonia Centre”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the presence of protesters at the Diakonia Centre is confirmed, the specific arrival of 'March and March and MK' on Thursday is not explicitly detailed in the provided evidence snippets, though 'anti-immigrant protesters' are mentioned.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM, Zulu pronunciation: [aɓaˈɬali ɓasɛm̩dʒɔˈndɔːlo], in English: "the residents of the shacks") is a socialist shack dwellers' movement in South Africa which primarily campaign…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abahlali_baseMjondolo

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Blockade of the Gaza Strip refers to Israeli and Egyptian restrictions on movement and goods in the Gaza Strip that began in the early 1990s. After Hamas took over in 2007, Israel significantly in…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockade_of_the_Gaza_Strip

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Angela Thokozile Didiza (née Msane; born 2 June 1965) is a South African politician serving as Speaker of the National Assembly since 14 June 2024. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), she…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoko_Didiza

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“March and March enacted a similar scene at Durban’s Addington Primary School in January.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web search results confirm that the March and March movement protested at Addington Primary School in Durban regarding student admissions.

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web search NEUTRAL — March and March, an anti-immigrant group, protested outside Addington Primary School, claiming South African students were being overlooked for admission.
https://themercury.co.za/news/education/2026-01-26-march-and…

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web search NEUTRAL — Clashes broke out outside Addington Primary School in Durban as members of Operation Dudula and the March and March movement protested against the placement ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM_xHToUHW4

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web search NEUTRAL — Lobby group March and March is continuing to protest outside Addington Primary School in Durban, demanding that the 40 flood-affected learners be placed at the school.
https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/march-and-march-protest-co…

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“Eventually, the eThekwini mayor, Cyril Xaba, arrived.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Cyril Xaba is confirmed as the Mayor of eThekwini by Wikipedia, the official eThekwini Corporate Website, and news reports.

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web search NEUTRAL — Vusumuzi Cyril Xaba is a South African politician from KwaZulu-Natal. He has been the Mayor of eThekwini since July 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Xaba

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web search NEUTRAL — The eThekwini Mayor is Councillor Cyril Xaba.The eThekwini Municipality approves and declines deals, builds up partnerships with institutions and makes many decisions where they, as well as the reside…
https://durban.gov.za/page/council

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web search NEUTRAL — Cyril Xaba had been elected unopposed as the mayor of the eThekwini Municipality. Xaba was nominated by deputy mayor and NFP councillor Zandile Myeni and the nomination was seconded by the ANC.
https://iol.co.za/mercury/news/2024-07-10-cyril-xaba-elected…

+ 1 more evidence source

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“He announced buses were arriving to take the foreign nationals to Home Affairs offices to have their legal status checked.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including a video report and a news article, confirm Mayor Cyril Xaba arranged buses to take foreign nationals from the Diakonia Centre to Home Affairs for processing.

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web search NEUTRAL — eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba confirmed that just one person was arrested after authorities checked nearly 460 foreign nationals at the Diakonia Centre in Durban.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202605220173.html

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web search NEUTRAL — Vusumuzi Cyril Xaba is a South African politician from KwaZulu-Natal.A member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, he formerly served in the National Assembly of South…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Xaba

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web search NEUTRAL — Home affairs to verify legal status and refugee documentation. In the afternoon, Mayor Cyril Xaba stepped out and confirmed that buses would transport the group to Home Affairs offices for processing …
https://www.jacarandafm.com/news/news/buses-transport-foreig…

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“On Friday morning, it emerged that the vast majority of this group were in South Africa legally.”

CORROBORATED

While the specific phrase 'vast majority' isn't in the snippets, the allAfrica.com report states that only one person was arrested after checking nearly 460 foreign nationals, implying the vast majority were legal or not subject to arrest.

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“Meanwhile, in Joburg last week, the mayor, Dada Morero, joined police in what was described as an operation to check “by-law compliance”.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results regarding Mayor Dada Morero or by-law compliance operations in Johannesburg.

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“people were being asked to produce legal documents about their immigration status.”

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“ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba was arguably the first mainstream SA politician to explicitly weaponise illegal immigration as a campaign issue.”

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“He and his members have joined some of the March and March protests”

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“MK has been much more overt, and its leaders and members, many wearing MK regalia, have regularly joined March and March protests.”

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“people who protested in Ekurhuleni on Friday”

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“President Cyril Ramaphosa has consistently condemned anti-foreigner sentiment”

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“Eskom has publicly threatened to disconnect parts of Johannesburg”

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“the finance minister has condemned the management of Joburg”

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“the Auditor-General will not accept Morero’s interpretation of the City’s financial statements”

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“the JSE has suspended trading in the city’s bonds”

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“A dangerous precedent was set in Gqeberha in 2021 when Somali traders retaliated against minibus taxi operators”

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“As the academic Tanya Zack has shown, the amount of trade flowing through the Joburg CBD alone amounts to billions of rands.”

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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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SA politicians who use xenophobia to garner votes are playing a perilous game

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