JOHANNESBURG — The South African government has strongly rejected a viral social media notice claiming that citizens will receive monetary rewards for reporting undocumented foreign nationals to the authorities.
The Department of Home Affairs issued an emergency statement on Sunday dismissing the document as fraudulent, warning that it was designed to stoke vigilante action amid highly volatile community tensions.
“The notice currently circulating is fraudulent and did not originate from the Department of Home Affairs,” the ministry said in an official statement. “Neither the department nor the Minister of Home Affairs offers monetary rewards to members of the public for reporting undocumented foreign nationals.”
Officials have urged the public to verify all immigration-related alerts through official government channels before sharing them, in a bid to curb the rapid spread of dangerous misinformation online.
Xenophobic anxieties rise
The fabrication of the bounty notice arrives at a highly sensitive time in South Africa, which has seen a resurgence of xenophobic rhetoric and sporadic violence targeting migrants from other African countries.
Foreign shopkeepers and laborers, particularly from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, have increasingly been targeted by localized protests and targeted attacks by groups accusing them of taking local jobs and driving up crime.
The situation has triggered a diplomatic crisis between Pretoria and Abuja.
Nigerians flee home
In response to the deteriorating security situation, the Nigerian government has commenced the emergency evacuation of its citizens from South Africa.
Hundreds of Nigerians have already registered with consular officials to return home, with many stating they have lost their businesses, homes, and livelihoods to targeted violence.
While Abuja has issued stern warnings to the South African government regarding the safety of its diaspora, diplomats from both regional powers are currently locked in high-level talks to de-escalate the crisis and prevent a complete breakdown in bilateral relations.
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