allAfrica.com: South Africa: Xenophobia, Crime and Security in SA (Page 1 of 6)

Xenophobia has been described as an intense dislike, hatred or fear of others who are perceived to be strangers. Xenophobia describes attitudes, prejudices and behaviours that reject, exclude and often vilify persons based on the perception that they are outsiders or foreigners to the community, society or national identity.

Dr Romi Fuller from the Centre for the Study of Violence in South Africa was in Namibia last week to present the considerations the recent xenophobic attacks have on the FIFA World Cup of 2010.

Socio-economic Implications for the FIFA World Cup

IN May 2008, South Africa was shaken by the outbreak of a wave of violence characterized by an intensity and fierceness previously unknown in its young democracy and reminiscent of apartheid bloodshed.

According to police statements, 62 migrants were murdered, while hundreds, including women and children, have been attacked, raped, and have had their houses and belongings looted and destroyed.

The most severely affected groups were Africans from neighbouring states, such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but migrants from more distant countries, such as Nigeria and Somalia, as well as a few South Africans, were also victims of attacks.

Within the country, up to 40 000 people fled from their homes and had to camp in temporary shelters until refugee camps were established. Thousands more returned to their countries of origin.

For instance, according to the Mozambican authorities, 26 000 people have crossed into Mozambique since the start of the unrest. During the second week of turmoil, President Thabo Mbeki agreed to call the army into the affected areas to assist the South African Police Service, which could not fully contain the riot situation.

While conditions have calmed down in the ensuing months, a new humanitarian crisis has been unfolding as refugees in provisional reception camps struggle with inadequate shelter and supplies and brace themselves for the outbreaks of disease already reported in many areas.

Most recently, a group of foreigners have appealed in the South African courts to keep the refugee camps open for longer than the two months initially set aside for their existence.

Context

In order to assess the socio-economic implications of the xenophobic violence in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, it is important to contextualise the circumstances in which it happened and analyse some of the more important root causes of the violence.

Firstly, it is important to note that xenophobia in South Africa is not a new phenomenon: it is an ongoing problem and not one that will easily disappear.

In 1977, local hawkers in central Johannesburg attacked their foreign counterparts. The chairperson of the Inner Johannesburg Hawkers Committee was quoted at the time as saying: "We are prepared to push them out of the city, come what may. My group is prepared to let our government inherit a garbage city because of these leeches".

In 1998, gangs of South Africa tried to evict perceived 'illegals' from Alexandra Township, blaming them for increased crime, sexual attacks and unemployment.

The campaign, lasting several weeks, was known as 'Buyelekhaya' ("go back home"). Later that year, three foreigners were killed on a train traveling between Pretoria and Johannesburg in what was described as a xenophobic attack.

In January 2008, acts of violence and foreigners' home-based businesses were vandalised and items stolen in Atteridgeville West. In April, South African nationals looted the shops and burned the homes of foreigners in Mamelodi East.

These material incidents have been supported by the attitudes captured in two nationally representative surveys conducted by the Southern African Migration Project in 1997 and 2006.

In 1997, it was found that 25% of South Africans wanted a total prohibition of migration or immigration and 22% wanted the South African government to return all foreigners presently living in South Africa to their own countries.

Forty-five percent of the sample called for strict limits to be placed on migrants and immigrants and 17% wanted migration policies tied to the availability of jobs. In the same survey, some 61% of respondents agreed that migrants put additional strains on the country's resources.

In 2006, respondents continued to consider foreigners to be a threat to the social and economic wellbeing of South Africa. More than two-thirds said that foreigners use up resources such as water, electricity and healthcare destined for citizens. Two-thirds of respondents felt that foreigners from other African countries commit crimes and close to one half said that foreigners bring diseases such as HIV to South Africa.

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