South African venture capitalist and international speaker Vusi Thembekwayo has drawn attention for making seemingly contradictory statements about xenophobia in South Africa.
While speaking at a church program called “The Platform”, Vusi addressed recent reports of xenophobic violence, telling attendees that South Africans are not inherently xenophobic.
He said, “I think there is an agenda to turn us against each other,” and emphasized that it would be unfair to label all South Africans as xenophobic, citing the diversity of the country and noting that boards of many South African companies include members from other African nations.
However, in a video shared days after returning to South Africa, Vusi appeared to adopt a more critical stance. He claimed that certain areas in South Africa have been “overrun” by people from a particular nationality, suggesting that these areas no longer look like what they used to while growing up. In the video, he also acknowledged his own experience as an immigrant in other countries.
The contrasting statements have sparked debate online, with some accusing Vusi of promoting xenophobic rhetoric despite his earlier call for unity, while others say he is highlighting real social tensions without targeting a specific group unfairly.
Watch the video below…………………………………………
