XENOPHOBIA ATTACKS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND THE CHALLENGES OF SOUTH-SOUTH MIGRATION: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT

ABSTRACT

Globalisation has offered the free movement of capital and goods between countries which has resulted in the integration of national economies into one global economy. Thus, migrants have consistently on daily basis travel to richer countries to seek better opportunities which are scarcely available in their own countries. In the African case, South Africa which has one of the best economies on the continent has recorded the highest number of cases of south-south migration. Migrants from other African countries such as Zimbabwe, Malawi, Somalia, Cameroon, Mozambique, Nigeria, move to the Country on daily basis seeking for greener pasture. However, as these migrants settle in South Africa, host populations become disillusioned with the large influx of migrants who are considered as a drain on public resources, as well taking over the jobs and benefits of South Africans. This disillusion by host populations turns into frustrations, where they begin to resent people from other countries on the continent which results into xenophobic attacks. It then can be argued that through these xenophobia attacks in South Africa, south-south migration is under threat. Since we are in globalised world in which migration cannot be resisted, this paper investigates the root causes of xenophobia, how xenophobia affects national integration and cohesion and in the final analysis it makes recommendations that could address the problem of xenophobia not only in South Africa but in the entire African continent. In order to achieve the objectives of the paper, the author adopted data triangulation approach. That is, the use of multiple sources of data. These include observations, interviews and document exploration. Document exploration was used in order to corroborate the interview data and by so doing, developed convergent lines of inquiry.

Keywords: Xenophobia, Immigrants, South Africa, Ubuntu, Integration, Mobilisation.