Originally published on the CGS blog on May 8, 2015.
After the official end of apartheid in the early 1990s, South Africa has been suffering from xenophobia. The root cause is a lack of economic opportunities and stifling poverty.
There have been quite a few xenophobic attacks against foreigners over the past few years in South Africa, including several cases in the last few months. South Africa currently has an official 25% unemployment rate (the same as in the United States at the height of the Great Depression), although the actual rate may be higher.
Many foreigners happen to be refugees fleeing conflict from other African countries and seeking to improve their livelihoods in South Africa.
Most of the perpetrators behind the xenophobic attacks reportedly live in shantytowns where unemployment rates soar around 40 percent. Residents often feel that the government is ignoring their needs.
Some of the worst of the worst violence occurred in the year 2008, particularly toward foreign nationals from the countries of Mozambique, Malawi, Somalia, and Zimbabwe, where nearly 60 people lost their lives and several more were injured.
This particular article written during the 2008 attacks shows the grossly misinformed, bigoted and hateful views that some South Africans hold toward foreigners from other African countries, especially the idea that foreigners want to take jobs and are responsible for most violent crimes toward South Africans.
Politicians in South Africa have used this xenophobic sentiment to rise to power. Michael Neocosmos says that even during the 1990s in the post-apartheid state, many South African politicians have used politics of fear toward immigrants to attain power, making xenophobic statements during their campaigns. And sadly, many political figures continue to do so today.
Despite the xenophobic violence, some South Africans living in shantytowns try to understand and realize that they are in the same predicament as most foreign nationals from other African countries. They also know that just kicking immigrants out of South Africa is not going to improve their lives.
In an interview with The Christian Science Monitor, Elvis Pretorius, a construction worker who lives in a rundown suburb called Actonville situated around some factories in Johannesburg said, “There are too many foreigners working here, but we can’t just throw them out. They’re only looking for money like we are.”
Some people living in shantyvilles have formed groups against violence and xenophobia. One of them is called Abahlali baseMjondolo, established by residents from the Kennedy Road Informal Settlement in Durban. This group has sought to promote understanding toward migrants and the need to work together to improve overall welfare and prosperity for all, both within South Africa and abroad.
Just like Nelson Mandela worked with people of Dutch descent to end apartheid and create a budding democratic South Africa, the people of South Africa (both nationals and residents from other countries) must work together to improve quality of life and standard of living. This is what all South African politicians should be doing instead of stoking hate and bigotry to gain power and influence. Hate and bigotry will not make poverty go away—they may even exacerbate it.
Many foreign nationals, especially those from other African countries, employ South Africans in their businesses, improving each other’s quality of life. Africans have to help out fellow Africans.
The case of South Africa shows what can happen when dire economic circumstances and bigotry stoked by politicians combine. Around the world, people need to continue working at defeating hate and improving economic prospects for their communities. When basic needs are met, it becomes easier for people to get along with each other both locally and abroad.
