Alexandra Trembles: When South African Xenophobia Hits Home for the Diaspora

On Thursday, June 30, in the township of Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, a young man lost his life. Not in an ordinary incident, but on the fringes of the large anti-immigrant protests that have been sweeping South Africa for weeks. The organization 'March and March' vows to take to the streets every Thursday until the municipal elections in November. And in the dusty alleys of Alexandra, fear does not take a holiday.

For us, Senegalese and Africans in the diaspora — whether you're in Paris, Montreal, or New York — these images hit hard. They remind us that xenophobia is not a distant concept, but a reality that can erupt where least expected: in a brother country, on a land that was once a refuge. Alexandra, with its corrugated iron homes and vibrant arteries, is a microcosm of this tension: foreign shopkeepers have run businesses for years, their children attend school with South Africans, and yet one word too many, a rumor, and everything can tip.

South African authorities remain on alert, but mistrust is already there, lurking in the eyes. Residents of Alexandra — those born there, those who immigrated — tell the same story: fear of going out, fear of being targeted. A climate we know, we of the diaspora, when the news suddenly catches up and our identity becomes a burden.

This new xenophobic surge is no accident. It fits a cycle South Africa knows well: political rhetoric that feeds local frustrations, glaring inequalities, and a youth seeking scapegoats.