Netizens Slam MTN Chair Mcebisi Jonas Over Anti-Xenophobia Speech at Migration Seminar

• MTN Group Chair Mcebisi Jonas addressed government and business leaders at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation's Winter Seminar on Migration and Africa in Pretoria
• Jonas argued that anti-immigrant violence is undermining South Africa's economic integration and contradicting the country's AfCFTA ambitions
• South Africans pushed back sharply online, accusing Jonas of conflating illegal immigration with legal migration to serve elite interests

JOHANNESBURG— MTN Group Chair Mcebisi Jonas has drawn fierce backlash online after speaking out against anti-immigrant sentiment at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation's Winter Seminar on Migration and Africa in Johannesburg.

Jonas addressed government and business leaders, arguing that hostility toward African migrants undermines continental economic integration and damages South Africa's growth prospects at a moment when the country is positioning itself under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

According to TimesLIVE, pointing to MTN's footprint across roughly 20 African and Middle Eastern markets, Jonas stressed that subscriber growth beyond South Africa's borders is central to the company's business model — making regional stability a commercial priority, not just a moral one.

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Jonas links migrant hostility to economic damage

Jonas, who was the special envoy to the USA in 2025, maintained that South Africa's fundamental problems are low economic growth and systemic exclusion, not the volume of migrants in the country. Jonas argued that properly managed migration has historically contributed to key sectors including mining, agriculture, and commerce, citing West African merchant corridors and Somali business communities as examples of trading networks that benefit the broader economy.

Jonas also attributed the recent wave of anti-immigrant violence — including attacks on foreign-owned businesses, vigilante raids, and forced evictions — partly to opportunistic politicians exploiting fear ahead of the November local government elections, and partly to criminal syndicates and foreign intelligence networks using bot farms to stoke instability.

South Africans push back online

The speech prompted sharp criticism from South Africans who accused Jonas of misrepresenting the public's position.

Watch the seminar address that sparked the backlash:

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@Mjudana wrote:

"Corporate benefits from illegal immigration, political elite & Black elite benefit from illegal immigration so a sincere engagement from any of him / his ilk is something that threatens what they regard as a norm for themselves regardless of the impact it has on the poor."

@DaysMandulo said:

"This is very disappointing; all we ask is for the government to implement its immigration laws. Maybe they're happy with prevailing lawlessness in the country."

@AlexMilatov argued:

"You keep asking them this irrelevant question. Illegal immigration is one of the problems we are facing, and we want it dealt with. We never said it's a fix-all solution."

@thamizama wrote:

"No one ever said all immigrants must be removed from the country. What is said is that the government must deal with illegal immigration by enforcing the country's immigration laws. These educated morons are deliberately twisting the messaging from citizens."

Ronald Lamola slams ICC petition against South Africa

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In a related article, Briefly News reported on International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola's stance on the International Criminal Court petition regarding violence against foreign nationals in South Africa. His assertion that domestic courts can adequately address such matters raises significant questions about the nation's legal framework and international obligations.

Source: Briefly News