MTN Chairman Blames State Failure, Not Foreigners, for South Africa's Problems

MTN Group Chairman Mcebisi Jonas has issued a sharp rebuke of South Africa's rising anti-foreigner sentiment, insisting that blaming foreign nationals for the country's woes is a dangerous distraction from the real culprit: a failing state. He made the remarks at the funeral of Zimbabwean-born activist and public servant Thokozani Damasane.

Jonas argued that even if every foreign national left South Africa tomorrow, the country's deep-rooted problems would remain firmly in place. "Foreigners can leave tomorrow, inequality will be with us. Foreigners will leave tomorrow, unemployment will be with us. Foreigners will leave tomorrow, our police will remain corrupt," he said, adding that politicians would still be preoccupied solely with winning elections.

In his view, the core issue is the state's inability to govern effectively. "The problem is the failure of the state. The state doesn't manage immigration. It doesn't manage its borders. It doesn't enforce law enforcement. It doesn't manage education. What are you expecting?" he asked pointedly.

Paying tribute to Damasane, who was born in Zimbabwe but devoted his life to South African public service, Jonas said belonging ought to be measured by one's commitment to humanity rather than one's country of birth. "Home is where humanity is. Home is about humanness," he said, praising Damasane for immersing himself in the struggles of ordinary South Africans.

Jonas also cautioned against ethnic nationalism, describing tribal divisions as a colonial legacy still fuelling discrimination and violence. He called on South Africans to reject identity politics entirely and embrace a broader African identity, stressing that the country's economic fortunes are inseparable from the continent's. "South Africa is nothing without Africa. And Africa is nothing without South Africa," he declared.

His remarks carry particular resonance across the continent, including in Ghana, where many citizens and businesses operate in South Africa and have at times been caught up in xenophobic violence targeting Africans from other nations.