The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has appealed to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) to spearhead a continent‑wide education and sensitisation campaign aimed at curbing xenophobia and safeguarding migrant workers in South Africa.
In a letter dated 7 May 2026 addressed to COSATU’s president in Johannesburg, NLC president Joe Ajaero warned that South Africa could not claim to protect the working class while African migrants are being targeted with violence. “We cannot claim to fight for the working class while allowing a section of that class to be hunted like wild animals,” Ajaero wrote. He urged COSATU to launch a comprehensive outreach programme in every union, community and workplace, emphasizing that migrant workers are victims of the same systemic inequalities that affect local workers.
The NLC condemned recent attacks on African migrants, describing the killings and destruction of businesses as a symptom of economic hardship and ineffective government policies. Ajaero highlighted the long history of African labour solidarity, noting Nigerian support for the anti‑apartheid struggle, and called on COSATU to extend that legacy by mobilising members against xenophobic violence.
The letter also criticized South African security forces for what Ajaero called “passivity amounting to complicity.” He demanded the full deployment of state resources to protect migrant workers, swift prosecution of perpetrators, and compensation for victims’ families and lost livelihoods. According to Ajaero, unemployment, housing shortages and inadequate social services are genuine concerns, but political and economic elites are diverting public anger toward vulnerable foreign workers.
Ajaero warned that xenophobia threatens working‑class unity across the continent and weakens collective bargaining power against capital. He proposed an emergency meeting of African trade‑union centres under the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC‑ARO) and the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) to develop joint mechanisms for protecting migrant workers across borders. “Xenophobia is a cancer that, if not excised in South Africa, will metastasise across the continent,” he said.
The NLC’s call follows earlier reports by The Punch that former Edo State governor and senator Adams Oshiomhole urged the revocation of licences for South African firms operating in Nigeria, including MTN and DStv, after renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. Two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, were reportedly killed in separate incidents.
The NLC’s appeal underscores the broader implications of xenophobic violence for labour solidarity in Africa and highlights the need for coordinated, trans‑national responses to protect migrant workers and preserve collective bargaining strength.
