At least fifteen immigrants have been murdered, and scores of others attacked or left homeless in attacks on them in poor neighborhoods around Johannesburg (for updates, see here and here). Some commentators inside South Africa and media reports blame the current wave of xenophobic violence on the crisis in Zimbabwe (that large numbers of Zimbabweans fleeing Mugabes terror add to job and crime woes) or have suggested that the instigators are not South African (as Mandelas ex-wife Winnie Mandela did last week). It would be an inadequate response if it were true. And it may be partly true, but that’s not the whole story. Extensive research by the Southern African Migrancy Program has shown that South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, are amongst the most xenophobic countries in the world and that South Africans hold by far the harshest anti-immigrant sentiments. Especially against black, mainly other African, migrants. Furthermore, these anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiments cut across all major socio-economic and demographic categories. Young and old, black and white, educated or not. They display an extraordinary consistency in their antagonism towards foreigners, particularly those from other countries in Africa and especially those deemed to be illegal immigrants. Even refugees are viewed negatively. I have written an op-ed piece about the sources of the violence for the UK Guardian’s Comment is Free site and will put up the link sometime later today.
UPDATE: The piece is here.
UPDATE May 20: The piece is also on the Comment page of today’s print edition of the Guardian newspaper, “next to Polly Toynbee.”
am very disapointed dat it is really in south africa we r hosting the next world cup and this kind of behaviour is not good please stop