A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications team, Kwasi Kwarteng, has described South Africa’s violent crime situation as one of the worst in the world, arguing that growing insecurity in the country continues to fuel xenophobic sentiments against foreign nationals.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, May 28, he expressed concern over official crime figures, which he said point to a worrying pattern of escalating violence in the country, with thousands of murders recorded annually.
“South Africa’s violent crime rate is unmatched all over the world. If you look at their police data, there are about 27,000 recorded killings every year. That is roughly 75 murders every day,” he stated.
Kwarteng noted that despite the widespread violence affecting the country, foreigners are often blamed for the deteriorating security situation, a trend he believes has intensified hostility against migrants and other African nationals.
He argued that politicians and politically exposed individuals in South Africa continue to exploit public frustration over crime for political advantage, especially during election periods when anti-foreigner rhetoric becomes more pronounced.
“They claim foreigners are the ones perpetrating these crimes because these are sentiments exploited by politicians, particularly when elections are approaching,” he said.
The NPP communicator further expressed concern over the normalisation of violence in parts of South Africa, warning that persistent insecurity and inflammatory political narratives could worsen xenophobic tensions if authorities fail to take decisive action.
His comments come amid renewed concerns over attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, which have prompted calls for stronger diplomatic engagement and support for affected Ghanaians living in the country.
