STUDY UNIT 5: XENOPHOBIC VIOLENCE
IN SOUTH AFRICA
INTRODUCTION
Xenophobia is one of the most endemic life-threatening obstacles confronting
foreign nationals in South Africa.
o This crime has increased largely in several provinces since Apartheid was
toppled.
Eg. KwaZulu Natal, Pretoria, Limpopo and Cape Town.
Until South Africa realises the benefits of Pan-Africanism, the terroristic
culture will continue to recur and eat deep into the socio-economic fabric of
the nation.
62 mil legal immigrants in South Africa
o 800 000-9 million illegal immigrants (Obviously very difficult to estimate)
Xenophobia has played a significant role in the moulding of human history.
o Hate practices took root in the ethnocentric nature of the ancient greet and
romans whose cultural imperialism was firmly entrenched towards the
enslavement of others, known to be of different origins or racial groups.
Many nations across the globe have a specific history of xenophobic attitudes
towards immigrants and foreign nationals; and this has led to the evolvement
of egregious acts, such as violence, hate crime, severe discrimination,
genocide, as well as religious and ethnic crises, that become visible across
the contemporary global societies
o The most notable being that of the antisemitism seen during the holocaust.
o The Rwandan genocide (‘ethnic cleansing’ that resulted in the genocide of
hundreds of thousands of Tutsi Bantu-minority ethnic group and the rape of
Tutsi women between 7 April 1994 and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan
Civil War)
Several deadly attacks from SA have made headlines.
o In 1998, a Mozambican immigrant was thrown from a moving train.
o In 2013, a young Mozambican man - Mido Macia was tied to a police van
and dragged through a street in Johannesburg by officers.
He had parked his taxi on the wrong side of the road.
o In 2015 police turned the other way or joined in on the mass attacks on
foreigners and their shops in Soweto
, o 11 May 2008 there were mass anti-immigrant protests in Alex and it
resulted in 62 people dying and more than 100,000 were displaced.
Some politicians sugar coat the problem.
o They state that the attacks on foreigners are not that important and that
the country needs immigrants.
The SA constitution grantees security from all forms of violence to every
person.
DEFINING XENOPHOBIA
Xenophobia directly meaning the fear of the unknown or foreigner.
o Severe discrimination against or hatred of foreign nationals, targeting
outsiders and aliens, or more often those who are, in effect, part of one’s
own society but are perceived as incommensurably disparate from the
majority population.
South Africans who look “different” are targeted as foreigners as they are
perceived as not being South African.
Xenophobia can manifest itself in several ways in a country.
o Eg. Victimization by police, brutal assaults, murders, ethnic cleansing in an
area, mass expulsion from the country.
In SA people are often hacked, burned or stoned to death.
o These attacks are usually incredibly violent/Gratuitous violence to show the
hatred that one has for these people.
Use this violence as an outlet for their anger.
o Young children are usually present during these attacks and it will teach
them to continue the cycle and learn that one must hate difference.
o Shagangwors: Lowest hierarchy in ‘wors’ (The worst of the worst)
75 people are murdered a day in SA
o Arguments are the top reason for murder.
o Robbery is the second highest reason for murder.
o Xenophobia is the third largest reason for murder.
Recently the COVID-19 pandemic caused xenophobia towards the people of
East Asian and Southeast Asian descent across the world.
o In South Africa, a large amount of Chinese and Indian people are being
abducted and used for ransom as they often have large business.
o After COVID-19 this has increased largely.
IN SOUTH AFRICA
INTRODUCTION
Xenophobia is one of the most endemic life-threatening obstacles confronting
foreign nationals in South Africa.
o This crime has increased largely in several provinces since Apartheid was
toppled.
Eg. KwaZulu Natal, Pretoria, Limpopo and Cape Town.
Until South Africa realises the benefits of Pan-Africanism, the terroristic
culture will continue to recur and eat deep into the socio-economic fabric of
the nation.
62 mil legal immigrants in South Africa
o 800 000-9 million illegal immigrants (Obviously very difficult to estimate)
Xenophobia has played a significant role in the moulding of human history.
o Hate practices took root in the ethnocentric nature of the ancient greet and
romans whose cultural imperialism was firmly entrenched towards the
enslavement of others, known to be of different origins or racial groups.
Many nations across the globe have a specific history of xenophobic attitudes
towards immigrants and foreign nationals; and this has led to the evolvement
of egregious acts, such as violence, hate crime, severe discrimination,
genocide, as well as religious and ethnic crises, that become visible across
the contemporary global societies
o The most notable being that of the antisemitism seen during the holocaust.
o The Rwandan genocide (‘ethnic cleansing’ that resulted in the genocide of
hundreds of thousands of Tutsi Bantu-minority ethnic group and the rape of
Tutsi women between 7 April 1994 and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan
Civil War)
Several deadly attacks from SA have made headlines.
o In 1998, a Mozambican immigrant was thrown from a moving train.
o In 2013, a young Mozambican man - Mido Macia was tied to a police van
and dragged through a street in Johannesburg by officers.
He had parked his taxi on the wrong side of the road.
o In 2015 police turned the other way or joined in on the mass attacks on
foreigners and their shops in Soweto
, o 11 May 2008 there were mass anti-immigrant protests in Alex and it
resulted in 62 people dying and more than 100,000 were displaced.
Some politicians sugar coat the problem.
o They state that the attacks on foreigners are not that important and that
the country needs immigrants.
The SA constitution grantees security from all forms of violence to every
person.
DEFINING XENOPHOBIA
Xenophobia directly meaning the fear of the unknown or foreigner.
o Severe discrimination against or hatred of foreign nationals, targeting
outsiders and aliens, or more often those who are, in effect, part of one’s
own society but are perceived as incommensurably disparate from the
majority population.
South Africans who look “different” are targeted as foreigners as they are
perceived as not being South African.
Xenophobia can manifest itself in several ways in a country.
o Eg. Victimization by police, brutal assaults, murders, ethnic cleansing in an
area, mass expulsion from the country.
In SA people are often hacked, burned or stoned to death.
o These attacks are usually incredibly violent/Gratuitous violence to show the
hatred that one has for these people.
Use this violence as an outlet for their anger.
o Young children are usually present during these attacks and it will teach
them to continue the cycle and learn that one must hate difference.
o Shagangwors: Lowest hierarchy in ‘wors’ (The worst of the worst)
75 people are murdered a day in SA
o Arguments are the top reason for murder.
o Robbery is the second highest reason for murder.
o Xenophobia is the third largest reason for murder.
Recently the COVID-19 pandemic caused xenophobia towards the people of
East Asian and Southeast Asian descent across the world.
o In South Africa, a large amount of Chinese and Indian people are being
abducted and used for ransom as they often have large business.
o After COVID-19 this has increased largely.
