Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni claims President Cyril Ramaphosa told him that “enemies of the ANC” were behind the recent wave of anti-illegal immigration protests in South Africa.
Addressing returnees from South Africa on Sunday, Museveni said he had spoken to Ramaphosa on the phone about alleged xenophobia and told him that South Africa had “betrayed us.”
He added that he has supported the ANC for 60 years and that there would be “no South Africa under black rule without the support of Africa.”
“But from what he told me, it seems that they have political problems there. It appears that the people behind this xenophobic campaign are enemies of ANC who wish for the party to lose its reputation around Africa,” said Museveni.
This echoes comments by former President Thabo Mbeki, who recently claimed that “mobilisation” against undocumented Africans is part of a well-funded “counter-revolutionary” attempt to isolate South Africa from the rest of Africa. The Presidency has expressed a similar view.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has also suggested that there could be foreign influence aimed at stripping South Africa of its “moral authority.”
Ugandan nationals have been among tens of thousands of foreign nationals who have been deported or repatriated from South Africa in recent weeks.
Museveni suggested that Uganda may pursue compensation on behalf of the returnees.
“I agreed with President Ramaphosa that you should truthfully write down all the properties and businesses that were destroyed for compensation,” he said.