Pretoria, 16 July, 2026, Archbishop Dabula Anthony Mpako of the Pretoria Catholic Archdiocese in South Africa has challenged the prevailing portrayals of anti-migrant tensions in the country, stating that the situation is more complex than commonly presented and warning against reducing it to a single explanation.
Speaking to ACI Africa in Nairobi on Thursday, July 16, Archbishop Dabula noted that discussions about migration in South Africa often fail to consider the social and economic realities that have fueled tensions in some communities, resulting in a narrative that does not accurately reflect the broader picture.
Archbishop Dabula emphasized that the Catholic Church has consistently condemned violence against migrants while also urging a more comprehensive understanding of the circumstances surrounding the country’s migration debate, saying “As Church, one thing we have done is to issue statements condemning violence against migrants, whether they are undocumented or illegal,” and emphasizing that “violence is not acceptable.”
