The Scramble for South Africa
In September this year, Donette Ngonefi, a Congolese high school pupil in Salt River, Cape Town, was beaten mercilessly by her classmates, resulting in abdominal injuries and hospitalisation. The attack was a culmination of months of bullying by her fellow pupils who opposed her appointment as a class monitor for the reason that she is a foreigner.
South Africa’s history, like many countries in Africa, is an unpleasant one. Hundreds of years of colonialism and later Apartheid left deep scars on the country that 25 years of democracy has failed to heal. The state is plagued with a wide variety of socio-economic ills, from political corruption to extreme poverty. Xenophobia has caused untold misery to thousands, a string of violent deaths and strained South Africa’s relationship with neighbouring countries. In recent months tensions have once again flared up between immigrants and local township dwellers, leading us to question: why is nothing being done to stem the tide of violence and hatred, and how this is affecting relations between South Africa and the rest of the continent?
Since the 1980s conflict in neighbouring Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi - among others- have driven asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants to look for refuge in South Africa. Relative economic prosperity has also enticed many to seek work in the country. Under the segregationist policy of Apartheid, black immigrants and locals were forced to live together in tribal homelands separate from greater South Africa controlled by white people. The lasting impact of Apartheid has been that a majority of black people live in extreme poverty in former homeland areas and live in concentrated informal settlements known as townships. It is in these townships that immigrants and locals live side by side. In the 2000s, and especially since 2008, discrimination and attacks against foreigners living in townships has escalated, causing concerns for both South African citizens and the international community.
Accounts on the ground from those affected by this violence range from verbal abuse to physical violence, shooting, looting and burning of homes and businesses and rape. The exact cause of resentment is unclear though several reasons have been suggested, but many agree that extreme poverty fuels the violence. Superstition and scapegoating cause many to wrongfully blame immigrants for the lack of jobs, and, especially among the male youth, for stealing their women. The 2008 riot is the best illustration of just how serious the problem is. Looting and burning of shops owned by immigrants caused frenzy among the locals to the point where hundreds were injured, dozens died and a man was burned alive. It is important to note that while not all people in the community participate in such heinous acts, the mob mentality that springs up in such situations means few are willing to speak out against the violence.
As for the ANC government's response, whilst professing an anti-afrophobic policy they have done little to curb the problem and in fact have made it harder for immigrants get refugee status, with limited access to jobs and welfare grants. It is a damning fact that the government's policy on immigration is practically non-existent and their borders are poorly regulated. There is, on the other hand, outrage and action from many in the country and outside it. NGOs work tirelessly to help refugees escape violence and set up their lives in South Africa. Organisations like Adonis Musati, Future Families and Refugee Social Services have had to mount an emergency response to provide trauma debriefing and relief for displaced refugees.
As recently as September a new wave of violence has sprung up, causing newfound concern from South Africa’s neighbours over the safety of their nationals and the ability of the government to manage the crisis. The response from Nigeria was to evacuate 640 of its citizens, while Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique have vowed to implement similar measures. It’s safe to say that the ongoing crisis for refugees has turned more than a few heads in the international community as the UNHCR has expressed concern for the dire situation that refugees find themselves in. This may prove damaging for not only South Africa’s prestige as an African power, but also its position as a BRICS economy and as a leading, and much-publicised, example of democracy in Africa.
Only time will tell if South Africa can bring itself back from the brink of this crisis. While the issue has received media attention on several occasions in the past, it seems more than ever that this scourge is being overlooked or even actively ignored. For children like Donette, xenophobia and all the violence that comes along with it is, and will likely remain, the harsh reality of their lives.
