Critics allege that groups focused on anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa are deliberately avoiding addressing the country’s significant issues of state capture, corruption, and corporate fraud. These movements are accused of lacking the courage to tackle the fundamental problems hindering South Africa’s development. The focus on foreigners is seen as a deflection from holding powerful, corrupt actors accountable. Observers suggest this indifference to systemic corruption reveals a prioritization of scapegoating over substantive solutions. This approach ignores the deep-rooted causes of South Africa’s economic and social challenges. The critique centers on the idea that targeting immigrants is a convenient distraction from confronting the powerful elites responsible for widespread corruption. Ultimately, this behavior is characterized as a failure to address the real obstacles to progress.