Is xenophobia becoming part of South Africa’s way of life?

Xenophobia in South Africa is not a new phenomenon.  This has been in practice in the country on different occasions over the years. DOYIN ADEOYE writes on the developments in the recent attacks.

South Africa’s xenophobia, not a new phenomenon

As far back as 2008, tens of thousands of migrants were displaced, amid mass looting and destruction of foreign-owned homes, property and businesses across the country, with the violence coming in the form of high-profile mob attacks.

 At least 60 people were reportedly killed in the 2008 xenophobic violence in the country, prompting some 6,000 people to flee. The protest, which originated in the township of Alexandra, soon expanded to neighbouring areas. According to a Guardian report, at the time of the unrest,some 50 people were taken to hospitals with gunshot and stab wounds after protesters attacked dozens of shops and businesses owned by Zimbabweans in Cleveland, in the south of Johannesburg.

At least 1,140 people were arrested in connection with the violence, while displaced people were moved into temporary refugee camps with the government vowing not to force reintegration and not to deport immigrants found to be living in South Africa illegally.

According to the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in SA, attacks on foreigners have continued, since then, and the national statistics shows that, in 2011, one person a week, on average, was killed, while 100 were seriously injured and over 1,000 were displaced.

At least four people were killed in Soweto, Johannesburg, in January 2015, following the alleged murder of a South African teenager by a Somalian shopkeeper. The alleged killing sparked violence and three other people were killed while dozens of foreign-owned shops were looted.

 Why the protests started

 There are speculations that the recent violence erupted following alleged comments by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, who said that foreigners need to “pack their bags and leave.”

Following the comment, several South Africans took to the streets of Durban and attacked and looted foreign-owned shops and properties. The protesters accused foreign nationals of living in South Africa illegally and of stealing jobs and opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Zulu king has dismissed the claims, saying that he had only referred to foreign nationals who were committing crimes in South Africa and getting away scot free. But this did not halt the tide of xenophobia that had been unleashed.

Besides this, other attributed causes for the xenophobic violence include various historical, social and economic factors. One of which is the rate of socio-economic inequality in the country and in situation where foreign nationals compete with the poorest South Africans to eke out a menial living. Also, the country’s immigration policies are also blamed for aggravating the problem.

In late 2006, the South African Migration Projection undertook a national survey of the attitudes of the South African population towards foreign nationals in the country. Among other findings, the survey found that South Africans do not want it to be easier for foreign nationals to trade informally with South Africa (59 per cent opposed), to start small businesses in South Africa (61 per cent opposed) or to obtain South African citizenship (68 per cent opposed).

In South Africa, foreigners, especially black foreigners, have come to be perceived as a direct threat to the future economic health of the country. They are seen to be sponging off public services while diligently chipping away at the economy for their own selfish survival. There is a belief that the socioeconomic burden created by the influx of African migrants is unsustainable.

How foreigners retaliated

 Foreign nationals, on the other hand, were ready to retaliate against the attackers and declared they were not willing to be prey for South Africans.

An angry group of foreigners said: “It’s easy; government can just open the border gates and let us go if they don’t want us. But they must know that no plane must leave South Africa to come to our countries.

Xenophobia in SA, worse than apartheid — Zimbabwe

 Two Zimbabwean ministers took to social media to share their horror at the latest xenophobic attacks in South Africa, calling it worse than apartheid.

Writing on Twitter, the Minister of Environment, Zimbabwe, Saviour Kasukuwere through his handle, @Hon_Kasukuwere,  said the xenophobic attacks in South Africa were sad and a shame on us as Africans.

He said Africans are treating each other worse than they were treated during apartheid. Zimbabweans have been appalled at the violence in their southern neighbour where hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans live and work, not always legally.

The minister of Information, Professor Jonathan Moyo on the other hand, also tweeted his horror at the attacks thorough his handle @ProfJNMoyo  under the hashtag #AfrophobiainSAMustEnd.

 “#AfrophobiainSAMustEnd sad reports of at least one Zimbabwean dead and some 800 displaced in SA!,” he wrote.

Xenophobic attacks unacceptable —AU

The African Union (AU) in a statement made available to Xinhua on Thursday, condemned the attacks on foreigners in South Africa and has since called for an immediate end to it.

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the AU, described the attacks as unacceptable and called for an immediate halt.

 “Whatever the challenges we may be facing, no circumstances justify attacks on people whether foreigners or locals. It is unacceptable,” the AU chief, who is also former wife to current South African President, Jacob Zuma, said in the statement.

 “On May 25, we remember the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, which played such a critical role in mobilising international solidarity for the end of apartheid,” she said.

 “The challenges faced by South Africa, poverty and unemployment, are challenges faced by all countries on the continent and we must work together to address these, and build a better future for all Africans,” she added.

FG should save Nigerians from attacks —Nigerian Union, SA

The president of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, Ikechukwu Anyene, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to help halt the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in that country.

Anyene, on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the latest spate of xenophobic attacks began three weeks ago.

There are more than 800,000 Nigerians living in South Africa. Anyene said Nigerians resident in some South African cities had gone into hiding to avoid being attacked by South Africans.

South African government’s response

President Jacob Zuma has also condemned the attacks, and on Wednesday, he instructed the premier of KwaZulu-Natal province, Senzo Mchunu, and three ministers to visit the trouble-hit areas to reassure foreigners and restore order.

“There is no reason to attack other Africans, no reason at all. In South Africa nobody should feel unsafe because of other South Africans,” Mchunu said.

The South African police also activated a Joint Operational Centres nationwide to cope with ongoing sporadic attacks and looting of foreign-owned shops, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces, authorities said on Thursday.

South Africa should be suspended from AU – Zambia

Zambian Pan-Africanist, Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika has called for a boycott of all South Africa products.

Mr Mbikusita-Lewanika posted this on his Facebook page, while also calling on the African Union to suspend South Africa from the continental body.

He also added that he will not buy anything from a South African shop or South African associated shop, or fly on South African airways, until this murderous savagery ends.

“South Africa should be suspended from AU!,” he wrote.