Xenophobia in South Africa

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2008 South Africa riots
Part of the history of South Africa
Map of South Africa
Date 12 May 2008- ongoing Location Gauteng, Durban, Mpumalanga South Africa Result 62 people dead, several hundred injured, voluntary deportation of immigrants to home countries, destruction of immigrant-owned property

In May 2008 a series of riots occurred in South Africa leaving at least 62 people dead^[1], several hundred injured and some 25,000 displaced.^[2] The attacks targeted foreign nationals living in South Africa and was apparently motivated by xenophobia, although 21 of those killed were South African citizens.^[3] Though not the first incidents of xenophobia in contemporary South Africa, the scale and brutality of the May attacks garnered widespread condemnation and saw troops deployed in domestic peace-keeping for the first time since the end of Apartheid in 1994.

Contents 1 Recent history of xenophobia in South Africa 2 May 2008 riots 2.1 Flashpoints 2.1.1 Johannesburg 2.1.2 Durban 2.1.3 Cape Town 2.1.4 Other provinces 2.2 Refugee camps and reintegration question 2.3 Domestic reaction 2.3.1 South African government 2.3.2 African National Congress 2.3.3 Democratic Alliance 2.3.4 KwaZulu-Natal provincial government 2.3.5 Intelligence community 2.3.6 University students 2.4 Shack Dwellers' Organisations 2.5 Civil Society 2.6 International reaction 2.6.1 Zimbabwean politicians and diaspora 2.6.2 Mozambique and other countries 2.6.3 African Union 2.6.4 UNHCR 2.7 Possible post-violence ramifications 2.7.1 Economic and social ramifications 2.7.2 Tourism 2.7.3 2010 World Cup 2.7.4 Political ramifications 3 References 4 External Links

[edit] Recent history of xenophobia in South Africa

Individual incidents of xenophobic violence against immigrants from primarily other African countries have been documented since 1995. According to a 1998 Human Rights Watch report immigrants from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique living in the Alexandra township were "physically assaulted over a period of several weeks in January 1995, as armed gangs identified suspected undocumented migrants and marched them to the police station in an attempt to 'clean' the township of foreigners."^[4][5]

Attacks on foreign nationals increased markedly in late 2007 and it is believed that there have been at least a dozen attacks since the start of 2008.^[6] The most severe incidents occurred on January 8, 2008 when two Somali shop owners were murdered in the Eastern Cape towns of Jeffreys Bay and East London and in March 2008 when seven people were killed including Zimbabweans, Pakistanis and a Somali after their shops and shacks were set alight in Atteridgeville near Pretoria.^[6]

[edit] May 2008 riots

On May 12, 2008 a series of riots started in the township of Alexandra (in the north-eastern part of Johannesburg) when locals attacked migrants from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, killing two people and injuring 40 others.^[7]

The violence spread to other townships later in the week across the Gauteng Province of South Africa with riots reported in several settlements including Diepsloot, Johannesburg central, Jeppestown, Hillbrow and others.^[5] A man was burnt to death near Reiger Park on the East Rand^[8]. Police had arrested more than 200 people on charges including murder, attempted murder, rape, public violence and robbery.^[5] Armed police used tear gas and rubber bullets to quell rioting in central Johannesburg, attacks on foreigners and looting of foreign owned shops. The violence then spread to the coastal city of Durban^[9]

[edit] Flashpoints

[edit] Johannesburg

In Johannesburg, mobs launched attacks on foreigners from neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A total of 22 people were killed since mid-May 2008. More than 6,000 people have fled.^[10]

The violence against foreigners, who are accused by many South Africans of depriving locals of jobs and committing crime, spread across townships.^[11]

On May 18, an immigrant named Ernesto Alfabeto Nhamuave died after being covered with his own blankets and set alight. Nhamuave, a 35-year old father of three from Mozambique, had come to South Africa seeking work to pay for schooling his children. The image of the human fireball was captured on the front-page of several South African papers on May 19.^[11][8]

[edit] Durban

On May 20, a Nigerian-owned tavern, called the Crippled Cock, on Umbilo Road in Durban was attacked and burned down by residents of the Dalton Men's hostel^[12]; the patrons were driven out by some 20 or 30 armed men. On the following Wednesday morning, a mob confronted the members of the Khayalitsha Lodge hostel, a privately-run hostel that housed several foreign nationals, who were driven out of the hostel with their belongings despite a police presence in the area.

In the Warwick Triangle, taxi drivers from the Clermont taxi rank ganged up on two men from the Democratic Republic of the Congo^[13]. In the following days foreigners were chased out of informal settlements in Cato Crest, Cato Manor and Chatsworth.

[edit] Cape Town

On May 22, Somali shop owners were evacuated to the suburb of Killarney from the informal settlement at Du Noon near Milnerton after attacks by groups of youths. Other incidents have been reported in parts of the Southern Cape,^[14] and in the Helderberg areas of Strand and Nomzamo.[1]

[edit] Other provinces

Riots spread into the townships of Leslie and Embalenhle in Secunda, Mpumalanga on May 21^[15]. Violence was reported to have spread also into North West and Free State^[16].

[edit] Refugee camps and reintegration question

After being housed in temporary places of safety (including police stations and community halls) for three weeks, those who fled the violence were moved into specially established temporary camps.^[17] Conditions in many camps were condemned on the grounds of location and infrastructure^[18], highlighting their temporary nature.

The South African government initially adopted a policy of quickly reintegrating refugees into the communities they originally fled^[19] and subsequently set a deadline in July 2008, by which time refugees would be expected to return to their communities or countries of origin.^[20] After an apparent policy shift the government vowed that there would be no forced reintegration of refugees^[21]and that the victims would not be deported, even if they were found to be illegal immigrants.^[22]

[edit] Domestic reaction

[edit] South African government

In response to the violence President Thabo Mbeki announced he would set up a panel of experts to investigate the riots. African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma, condemned the attacks, saying "We cannot allow South Africa to be famous for xenophobia" in a speech in Pretoria while announcing his new 'Time Machine' project.^[23]

On May 21, Mbeki approved a request from the SAPS for deployment of armed forces against the attacks in Gauteng^[24]. It is the first time that the South African government has ordered troops out to the streets in order to quell unrest since the end of apartheid in 1994^[25].

The Home Affairs department's spokesperson, Mansele Tau, denied that his ministry was deporting any guest or immigrant residents from the country and that there was any significant rise of applicants for voluntary deportation, but stated that the ministry would help with any paperwork for individual applicants whenever the occasion merited such a response^[26].

[edit] African National Congress

The ANC's leadership, including ANC president Jacob Zuma, condemned both the attacks and the Mbeki government's response to the attacks; Zuma also lamented the usage of his trademark song Umshini wami by the rioters^[27]. Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe called for the creation of local committees to combat violence against foreigners^[28][29].

The Gauteng provincial branch of the ANC has alleged that the violence is politically motivated by a "third hand" that is primarily targeting the ANC for the 2009 general elections^[30].

[edit] Democratic Alliance

In a weekly newsletter published to the website of the Democratic Alliance (DA) party, Cape Town mayor and DA leader Helen Zille pointed to instances of crowds of rioters singing "Umshini wami", a popular ANC rally song associated with the 2007 party leadership campaign of current ANC president Jacob Zuma^[27], and noted that the rioters also hailed from the rank and file of the ANC Youth League, which also backed Zuma in his leadership campaign; she alleged that Zuma had promised years before to his supporters to take measures against the immigration of foreign nationals to South Africa, and that Zuma's most recent condemnation of the riots and distancing from the anti-immigration platform was not enough of a serious initiative against the participation of fellow party members in the violence^[31]. Both Zille and the parliamentary leader of the DA, Sandra Botha, slammed the ANC for shifting the blame concerning the violence to a "third hand", which is often taken in South African post-apartheid political discourse as a reference to pro-apartheid or allegedly pro-apartheid organizations.

However, Zille was also criticized by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel for the Cape Argus's quote of her saying that foreigners were responsible for a bulk of the drug trade in South Africa^[32].

[edit] KwaZulu-Natal provincial government

Bheki Cele, community safety minister of KwaZulu-Natal, blamed the Inkatha Freedom Party, a nationalist Zulu political party, for stoking and capitalizing on the violence in Durban^[33]. Both Cele and premier S'bu Ndebele claimed that IFP members, particularly residents of the Dalton hostel, had attacked a tavern that catered to Nigerian immigrants en route to a party meeting. The IFP, which is based primarily in the predominately ethnically-Zulu KwaZulu-Natal province, rejected the statements, and had, on May 20, engaged in an anti-xenophobia meeting with the ANC^[34].

[edit] Intelligence community

Both the Minister of Intelligence, Ronnie Kasrils, and the director general of the National Intelligence Agency, Manala Manzini, backed the Gauteng ANC's allegations that the anti-immigrant violence is politically motivated and targeted at the ANC^[30]. Referring to the attacks by hostel dwellers on tavern patrons in Durban which set off the violence in Durban's townships and publicized allegations of one rioter that he was being paid to commit violent acts against immigrants, Manzini stated that the violence was being stoked primarily within hostel facilities by a third party with financial incentives.

Also, Manzini rejected that the violence was strictly xenophobic, stating that Shangaan and Venda people, both of whom are pre-colonial citizen residents in both the territory of South Africa and surrounding states, were also victimized by the violence.

However, the NIA was criticized by the ruling ANC's National Executive Committee for not warning about simmering tensions and focusing more on the ANC's internal struggles^[35].

[edit] University students

Many South African tertiary education institutions have condemned the attacks. Most notably students from the University of the Witwatersrand staged a non-violent anti-xenophobia protest march^[36] and issued an official newsletter^[37] expressing their "deep dismay" towards the xenophobic killings, violence and hostility.

[edit] Shack Dwellers' Organisations

Progressive shack dwellers' organisation and organisations with a large base in shack settlements such as the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign in Cape Town, the Landless Peoples' Movement and the Anti-Privatization Forum in Johannesburg and Abahlali baseMjondolo^[38] in Durban and Pietermaritzburg all took a clear stand against the attacks and mobilised against them. Abahlali baseMjondolo was able to ensure that there were no attacks in any of the areas where the movement works.^[39]

[edit] Civil Society

Most of the support to people displaced by the attacks was offered by civil society rather than the state. In Cape Town the Treatment Action Campaign lead the relief efforts.

[edit] International reaction

[edit] Zimbabwean politicians and diaspora

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, in temporary exile in South Africa, expressed concern about the attacks on his countrymen and appealed to South Africans to treat the immigrants with sympathy rather than vilification.^[40] South African labour union federation COSATU also criticised the government's response and policies. Officials appealed to locals in an attempt to quell the violence.^[40]

The Zimbabwe Exiles Group criticised the South African government's response, in particular Thabo Mbeki, and accused him of being "more concerned with appeasing Mr. Mugabe than recognising the scale of the problem caused by the flood of Zimbabweans into South Africa."^[41]

[edit] Mozambique and other countries

A FRELIMO parliamentary deputy, Lidia Geremias, demanded for a South African government response to the riots that would be similar to the response of the German government against neo-Nazi attacks against Mozambican immigrants and guest workers in Germany^[42].

The Mozambican government sponsored a repatriation of Mozambican immigrants from South Africa to their home country by bus; according to Leonardo Boby, Deputy National Director of Immigration, over 3,275 repatriates were registered by the Mozambican Foreign Affairs ministry since the exodus began on or around May 19. At least 4 bodies of Mozambican residents killed by rioters were repatriated for burial^[43]. This program has not kept up with the actual exodus of Mozambican immigrants and guest workers, which totals over 9,000.

Malawi has also began repatriations of Malawian nationals in South Africa. No such effort has been forthcoming or anticipated from Zimbabwe, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Nigeria, from whence millions of immigrant residents hail.

[edit] African Union

The African Union chairman, Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete, condemned the violence in a mini-summit convened in Arusha, Tanzania, where Thabo Mbeki was in attendance^[44].

[edit] UNHCR

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed concerns about the violence and urged the South African government to cease deportation of Zimbabwean nationals and also to allow the refugees and asylum seekers to regularize their stay in the country^[45].

[edit] Possible post-violence ramifications

[edit] Economic and social ramifications

The large outflow of immigrant labour in the immediate aftermath of the attacks raised concerns about the impact on industries such as mining, agriculture and service industries that make widespread use of foreign labour. As of June, however, immigration statistics showed a net inflow of immigrants, especially from neighbouring Zimbabwe.^[46]

[edit] Tourism

A number of countries, including Germany, the United States and Sweden issued travel advisories warning in May^[47], although tour operators continued bus tours of the affected townships, declaring the situation safe.^[48]

[edit] 2010 World Cup

The May 2008 riots renewed fears that the 2010 FIFA World Cup slated to take place in South Africa may be relocated, although FIFA reiterated that the contingency plan for a re-location of the event will only be activated in the case of a natural catastrophe. The organizing committee for World Cup 2010 has condemned the violence^[49].

The welcome 2010 tourists will receive was questioned^[50], as was the support from other African countries for what has been billed as a pan-African event.^[51]

[edit] Political ramifications

The violence could slightly damage relations between South Africa and the governments which are represented by immigrant communities in the country, as South Africa may or may not attempt to win back the expatriates which fled the country in droves during the violence. It is not certain if any involvement by supranational organizations such as the SADC or the African Union will take place.

[edit] References

[edit] External Links

• IOL - Xenophobia Special Report
• M&G - Xenophobia Special Report
• NEWS24 - Xenophobia Special Report
• The Times - Xenophobia Special Report
• Boston Globe Photo Essay
• Article on the Pogroms in Indian Journal
• Statement on the attacks by Radical South African shack dwellers' movement
• Michael Neocosmos's 'From Foreign Natives to Native Foreigners: explaining xenophobia in contemporary South Africa', Dakar: Codesria, 2006
• Journalists who documented the death of Ernesto Alfabeto Nhamuave help repatriate his body