South Africa’s newest political party, the African Basic Movement Party (ABMP), thrives on xenophobic ideologies and extremism.
The party intends to run during the country’s 2019 elections. ABMP is currently calling for all foreign nationals to leave the country by the end of 2018.
The party is running on the single-policy issue of immigration. ABMP plans to “solve” the issue of immigration by deporting all foreign nationals or holding them in refugee camps.
Their Twitter biography tells of their ideal South Africa:
“Promotes removal of foreigners in South Africa to refugee camps/own countries. ABM promotes a Kingdom State. ABM is a friend of Israel and Jews Worldwide.”
Secretary-General Thembelani Ngubane spoke to Radio 702 on Monday in order to further his agenda:
“How many South Africans have spaza shops in Pakistan? But they come here and do as they please and tell us it is difficult to do what they do here in the country.”
Ngubane blames immigrants for South Africa’s high crime and unemployment rates. The country’s unemployment is currently at 26.5 percent. According to Quartz Africa, South Africa suffers from high unemployment rates because the country is still recovering from a recession. The nation’s AIDS crisis left many unable to work, as well.
However, the Secretary-General still maintains that unskilled immigrants are taking jobs from qualified South Africans because they accept very low wages.
ABMP is exclusionary South African citizens, as well. White and Indian citizens have been banned from registering with the party’s membership system. However, ABMP’s decision has been deemed unconstitutional by the EFF’s Goldrich Gardee.
“The aim of the African Basic Movement is to make sure that all South Africans are employed,” says Ngubane, “Our policy states that we want to get rid of all foreign products that come here ready to go to the market like what the Chinese are doing. The cars should be assembled here in South Africa so that our people can get jobs.”
Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons
