Jacob Zuma Preaches “Africa Is One” in Burkina Faso — But Where Was This Unity When He Was President?

Jacob Zuma Preaches “Africa Is One” in Burkina Faso — But Where Was This Unity When He Was President?

Former President Jacob Zuma delivered a speech in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, calling on Africans to reject xenophobia and embrace African unity, boldly declaring that “Africa Is One.

But South Africans are asking: Why now?

When Zuma was in power, he downplayed xenophobic attacks, saying South Africans “are not xenophobic,” instead of fixing the real issues — porous borders, illegal immigration, crime, and unemployment.

Today, the same man who speaks of African unity leads the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, whose members have been accused of fueling anti-immigrant rhetoric and blaming foreign nationals for South Africa’s problems.

Let’s be honest — South Africans are not angry at Africa, they are angry at a broken system that allows illegal immigrants to flood in, take jobs, open unregistered businesses, and in some cases, contribute to crime and disorder in communities already struggling with poverty and unemployment.

If Zuma truly believes “Africa Is One,” then he should have built that unity when he had the power to fix border control, create jobs, and address corruption.

Now that he’s out of office, preaching unity from Burkina Faso sounds more like political showmanship than genuine leadership.

South Africans want peace and unity — but also law, order, and accountability.
Unity means fairness, not ignoring the suffering