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Are South Africans Becoming Xenophobic?
Posted by: Guest Author on May 19, 2008 Under: Community Report, Discussion Lounge, Feature, Life & Culture, South Africa
Muti ThisJOHANNESBURG, South Africa / AP 12 die in South Africa anti-foreigner violence
Emmerson Ziso fled hunger and repression in neighboring Zimbabwe, but now he wants to go back. Even his violent, chaotic homeland seems a haven compared to Johannesburg, where weekend attacks on foreigners left at least 12 dead.
“Most of the Zimbabweans want to leave. It is better at home than here,” said the former teacher who was chased out of his home by a mob early Sunday.
“It’s spreading like wildfire and the police and the army can’t control it,” Ziso said, as he tried to help register about 500 people who sought refuge at the police station in Johannesburg’s Cleveland area.
It was a scene repeated in other poor suburbs around the city. Angry residents accused foreigners of taking scarce jobs and housing, many of them Zimbabweans who had fled their own country’s economic collapse.
President Thabo Mbeki said Sunday that he would set up a panel of experts to investigate. African National Congress President Jacob Zuma, who is likely to succeed Mbeki next year, condemned the attacks.
“We cannot allow South Africa to be famous for xenophobia,” Zuma told a conference in Pretoria.
The weekend attacks come as the government tries to change South Africa’s violent image ahead of the 2010 World Cup. South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, recording an average of 50 murders each day.
Many in the ANC government took refuge in neighboring countries during apartheid and are deeply embarrassed by the current violence, which has targeted immigrants who came to South Africa from other nations in the region.
Police spokesman Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said 12 people were killed. He said 200 people had been arrested on charges ranging from rape to robbery and public violence.
The Red Cross said at least 3,000 people were left destitute.
Police said the worst violence erupted after midnight Saturday in Cleveland and other rundown inner city areas that are home to many immigrants. Two of the victims were burned and three others beaten to death. More than 50 were taken to hospitals with gunshot and stab wounds.
The situation remained tense along the main street through Cleveland and police had to use tear gas to disperse stick-wielding crowds trying to loot shops.
Photographs supplied by local newspapers captured horrific images of a man who was set on fire after a tire soaked in gasoline was put around his neck. There was no immediate word on his condition.
One of the demonstrators in Cleveland, Michael Khondwane, said foreigners were to blame for South Africa’s drug and crime scourge. He said the violence would send them “the message that they must go.”
Johannesburg is South Africa’s economic hub and home to hundreds of thousands of immigrants. Many of them are illegal, but many have also been here for more than a decade and possess South African identity documents.
There has been sporadic anti-foreigner violence for months, mainly aimed at stores run by Somalis accused of undercutting local storeowners, but nothing that compares to the violence over the weekend.
Eric Goemaere, the head of Medecins Sans Frontieres in South Africa, said his staff was helping to treat people with bullet wounds and back injuries from being thrown out of windows.
He called on the South Africa government to declare Zimbabweans as refugees and give them proper protection. “It’s a crisis,” he said.
There are believed to be up to 3 million Zimbabweans living in neighboring South Africa who have fled the economic and political turmoil in their homeland.
Massive inflation, food and fuel shortages have sent increasing numbers of Zimbabweans to South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia in search of business and basic commodities — or whole new lives.
Zimbabwe’s opposition also has cited mounting violence and intimidation targeting its supporters since the country’s disputed March 29 presidential election. A runoff between longtime ruler Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is set for June 27.
At the downtown Jeppe police station, large tents and water tanks were being offloaded to help another group of 500 people who sought shelter. Dazed-looking women sat huddled close to piles of blankets and clothes while men kept watch over fridges, bicycles, TVs and other belongings.
Mozambican Bevinda Komati’s family including her 11-year-old niece and a 1-month-old baby had to be rescued by police when a mob attacked her brother’s small store in downtown Johannesburg.
“We had to hide in the back. They were breaking windows and throwing stones. We didn’t know what to do. Luckily, the police came and saved us.”
The 26-year-old has been living in South Africa since 1988. Her niece was born here.
“We have lived with these people everyday. I don’t know why they are doing this,” she said.
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Ricardo | May 19, 2008 | Reply
As evidenced by the brain drain that has hit South Africa over the last few years, and the number of South Africans living in Europe it’s a sad fact that many South Africans themselves felt threatened by a sort of “Xenophobia” when they lived in their own country and decided to leave
Misi | May 19, 2008 | Reply
Wow I didn’t know SA still had such a high violence rate. Its sad that us Africans can’t even accomodate each other but yet we expect the world to accomodate us.
Omotaylor | May 19, 2008 | Reply
Distressing and disturbing. I didnt realise the problem was this bad until I read this Breaking News today on This Day Newspaper in Nigeria:
“Breaking News
Many Nigerians were reportedly killed in South Africa yesterday following fast-spreading riots against foreigners in the country.
Also, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported yesterday that at least five people have been burnt or beaten to death in Johannesburg as violence against immigrants spreads.
A Nigerian who lives in South Africa told THISDAY yesterday that the xenophobic attacks were launched against Nigerians while many of them were either in church or on their way to church.
The areas where Nigerians were most affected are Hillbrow and Yeovil as the riots spread to the Johannesburg city centre.
Many Nigerians were said to have been dragged out of buses and beaten to death while the security agents appeared not to intervene.
More than 50 other people were taken to hospital in the suburb of Cleveland with stab or bullet wounds, the BBC reported, noting that the trouble began a week ago in the sprawling township of Alexandra.
Immigrants from neighbouring African countries were set upon by men with guns and iron bars chanting “kick the foreigners out” as terrified Zimbabweans, Mozambicans and Malawians fled to the safety of the local police station and to another township, Diepsloot.
They were then attacked there as well - shacks were burnt down and shops looted. The violence has since spread to other areas.
BBC’s correspondent in Johannesburg said the attacks have prompted soul searching among South Africans.
Nelson Mandela, former president, had expressed his concern, saying the country must not descend into what he called “destructive divisiveness”.
Since the end of apartheid, millions of African immigrants have poured into South Africa seeking jobs and economic sanctuary.
But they have become scapegoats for many of the country’s social problems - its high rate of unemployment, a shortage of housing and one of the worst levels of crime in the world.”
CareTaker | May 20, 2008 | Reply
When the head rotten, the rot spread to the body, what is happening is a fallout of the failure of the ANC-led government of South Africa. It’s simply shameful and disgusting.
Omotaylor | May 20, 2008 | Reply
Saw the picture of the burning man (still alive and burning) on Grandiose Parlour. Its so distressing that I am still shuddering. How could a human do this to another human??? This is real demonic.
South African | May 21, 2008 | Reply
My forefathers fought with the whiteman for our country.We love this country so much we will never let those illegals destroy it.I don’t agree with the actions but with the peoples intentions. You have to live in a township to know what these Mozambioens and Zimbaweans are doing in this country.As for Nigerians(Con Artist, Fraudsters and Drug lords u are killing our society.Go back and sell drugs to your fellow country man and leave us alone.MAKWEREKWERE
CareTaker | May 21, 2008 | Reply
Let me take you down the history lane South African – since you brought it up and your knowledge appears limited. Your forefathers and ANC would not have succeeded in their fights against Apartheid if not for the international support – financial, advocacy etc, particularly from the nations whose people you have persistently maimed, raped, burnt and killed since your independence.
Check you history book Mr. South African, and get your facts right.
Besides, why has it been difficult for the average South African black to hustle and run with the opportunities in your country – because if all is as bleak as you lazy bums want to make it – no foreigners will be moving in. The immigrants sensed a vacuum of opportunity, moved in and make it work. Have you asked yourself that question? I bet not yet. The foreigners work hard for their money. Can your people work half as hard?
Have you asked yourself why the ANC machinery failed in its duties to make life ‘more livable’ for you South African black brats? It is their responsibilities after all – and your rage ought to have been directed at them – not the foreigners. You people are not only attacking the foreigners – you have turned to thieves, looting their belongings. What sort of demons have possessed you?
Omotaylor | May 21, 2008 | Reply
@South African, it is distressing enough seeing video footages and pictures of the savage brutality of the South Africans, but more disturbing is that you can from a very disturbed mind actually commend this undescribable act. But then, a part of my heart feels pity for you and killer minds like yours since you have failed from the start to know the way of peace. Is it a legacy you have inherited from your white captors when South Africa was in bondage? South Africa is not the only African or Western country that will be infiltrated by immigrants. So what does senseless killings make of you and your type. No wonder the South African ambassador in Nigeria is pretending he does not know or havent heard of the murder of the innocent in South Africa. My prayer to you is that you or your relatives would have cause to settle in another man’s country and meet the same treatment. Do I end with AMANDA? The slogan we have all helped South Africa shout for you to get your independence? Hope your country will never need the aid of any other country from now to eternity. Have a deep think and read your proclamation above again. You may want to repent of your disturbed thinking and words.
pammy | May 22, 2008 | Reply
When highly educated Africans started moving into South Africa - I sensed that this will be a problem at the end of the day, so I am not surprised at what is going on. By, the way, this treatment of foreigners has been going on for years. You guys are only focusing on moz, zim, nig, what of the somalians?
Africans should start investing their brains, skills into THEIR OWN countries because this is the kind of thanks you get at the end of the day.
Criminally minded Africans …..I won’t say anything.
Pammy
lola | May 22, 2008 | Reply
One of the guys burnt was Nigerian. This xenophobia has been on going for years. If we could just develop our country, invest in our country and just VISIT these countries rather than stay there - we will escape all this hatred. The deep issues behind xenophobia often times is jealousy.