“None of His Business”: Mzansi Divided As Pastor Chris Warns SA Against Targeting Illegal Foreigners

• Nigerian Pastor Chris Oyakhilome urged South Africans to report illegal immigration concerns to the government and not take matters into their own hands
• He cited past conflicts in Ghana, Nigeria, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda as proof that mob justice never works
• South Africans flooded social media with mixed reactions, with even some of his own followers pushing back strongly

Nigerian televangelist Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has weighed in on South Africa’s illegal immigration crisis, warning locals against xenophobia and mob justice during an online global service, just days before the government’s 30 June deadline for illegal immigrants to leave the country.

The Christ Embassy founder addressed his international congregation and told South Africans to take their grievances directly to the government. He said peace and prosperity come through following God’s principles, not through taking the law into their own hands.

A man of history

Pastor Chris leaned heavily on history to make his case. He pointed to the fallout between Ghana and Nigeria, the violent collapse of Yugoslavia, and the devastating ethnic tensions in Rwanda during the 1990s. He said none of those situations improved through mob action.

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His message was clear: targeting foreigners solves nothing, and South Africans need to trust the government to handle the situation.

South Africans were not having it

Social media lit up almost immediately. Comments came thick and fast, and even some of his own followers turned on him. One person wrote that they disagreed with him despite him being their pastor. Another person questioned why he stays quiet about Boko Haram’s violence against children in Nigeria.

Others called on African leaders to fix conditions in their own countries so that people would have no reason to flee. Some accused the pastor of using the controversy to boost his profile and business. A few simply questioned whether South Africa’s immigration crisis was any of his business at all.

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• Checkers Sixty60 has warned customers across South Africa of possible delivery disruptions on 30 June 2026, linked to planned national anti-illegal-immigration protests.
• Johannesburg shop owners and vendors shut down amid fears of looting before upcoming protests.
• NatJOINTS declares high readiness to prevent disruptions in South Africa on June 30.

Source: Briefly News