Hawa Diallo
Professor Creaney
9/13/2019
Xenophobia In South Africa from Past to Present
South Africa is infamous for two things Nelson Mandela and Apartheid. Beyond this it’s a land of so much culture and rich history. When looking into this rich history, readers are also exposed to pernicious part of South Africa. The part that sheds a light on the xenophobic acts on immigrants from African countries by South Africans. The recent xenophobia against Nigerians and women in South Africa has sparked outrage from people all over the world. This outrage has threatened the state of peace between African countries and delayed great things for the economy of Africa. In South Africa xenophobia, stems from fear of African immigrants taking over the jobs and gaining capital. The results of this is violence on immigrants and women.
“How Xenophobia Took Root In South Africa” is written by Douglas Kiereini a well known writer for the Business Daily Africa news. Kiereni is a journalist of Kenyan descendant commenting on the affairs of Africa. Kiereini wrote this to inform and give a little bit of background on the causes of the xenophobia that is occurring in South Africa. The acts of violence that has befallen on Nigerians by the native people of South Africa. In doing all of this Kiereini’s tone was shame and surprise because he recalls of other xenophobic attacks on immigrants from other African countries by South Africans. Kiereini feels South Africans are not aware of the larger picture which is the reason he feels ashamed. Kiereini also uses facts like “Of this number, less than three million are Africans mainly running small shops, vending and service industries and controlling less than one percent of the national wealth. On the other hand, about “4.5 million whites control 85 percent of the South African economy”(Kiereini,1). The author uses this to indicate that South Africans feel like the competition being immigrants from other African countries are the reason for their economic hardship are other foreign Africans. However the real problem that is not being addressed is the fact that “White South Africans are the ones controlling 85 percent of the wealth”(Kiereini,1). The audience of this story is the world but specifically African people. “We in Kenya are possessed of an indomitable spirit with a strong sense of identity and nationhood”. This shows that African people are the readers in mind because by talking to the nationalism of Kenya, he hopes that it might spark African nationalism throughout the continent or specifically South Africans to stop the violence and unify. Nonfiction is the genre used in the article. This Is further proven through the use of historical events which took place in South Africa. “The two nations were once very close with Nigeria being so supportive of the anti-apartheid movement that it imposed a “Mandela tax”…..went to help South Africans”(Kiereni,1)”. Through non fiction Kiereini is able to give us definitions to historical phrases like Mandela Tax to help us contextualize and understand the significance. In the article Kiereini’s is using new language like South African tax that he hopes readers of African origin might know the history of but givens definition for readers that have no context of the situation and history at hand. Kiereini is using language that he knows will invoke a lot of emotions because of the “victimization of black South Africans for more than 300 hundred years is being reconstituted by the brutalization of African foreigners who are being blamed for taking jobs and violent crimes(Kiereini,1)”. The medium that is used is the internet. Readers are accessing this article digitally. The medium makes it accessible to everyone and shows images that help understand the events that are taking place. Kiereini takes a stance against South Africans committing atrocities by informing us of the causes that led to the recent xenophobic acts against Nigerians. But as a writer for the Business Daily Africa, as readers conclusions can be drawn that he is not in support of Africans killing other Africans. The scapegoating that Nigerians are the reason that South Africans are in a state of poverty and destitution rather it’s because of colonization.
“South Africa Is Burning: Femicide, Xenophobia And Protest” is written by Zaheera Jinnah. Jinnah is a researcher at the African Centre for Migration and Society at the University of Witwatersrand. Her works mainly focuses on labor migration, gender and livelihoods. The audience of this article is the people of South Africa to warn them about the violence on women and immigrants from other African countries. The harmful effects that this will have on the country and especially people who are poor or low class. “It is the poor who will suffer the most. Unable to fight or flee, a failed state will result in the evaporation of social security safety nets”(Jinnah,). Jinnah is cautioning that all of the violence that is being caused by the people that they think is helping them move up in the economy are the ones that will suffer the most. The reason being is that poor South Africans are the ones that will stay because they have no money and place to go. The tone is very pressing and cautionary. “Yet things can become worse still. If the president is unable to firmly take control of his party, of the police and of the state, we all stand to lose much more”(Jinnah,1). In other words, Jinnah is enlightening make South Africans of the repercussions of their activities and that inform them that they stand to lose a lot more than they think to gain. Jinnah’s purpose of writing this article is to inform and warn South Africans. Jinnah is making us aware and well informed about the chain of events that lead to Southern Africans rioting and killing. “Finally, these two factors a self-serving political elite and an angry population have combined to create what we are witnessing today, the breakdown of law and order. A state institution hires a convicted criminal who will go on to rape and kill an innocent woman; the angry community turns to mob justice”(Jinnah,1). In the same light, she is also predicting the negative effects of the turbulent present events. The genre of the story is nonfiction. The events that readers are writing are events that are taking place in South Africa. The language that is being used is scary because she’s using a lot of percentages that give readers a visual representations that piece the story together. “Many South Africans live in poverty and are desperate because of this. 29% unemployment rate, 30% of South Africans have no access to running water and 13% live in informal dwelling”(Jinnah, 1).The Stance of the source is that of the opposing side. She doesn’t support the killing, rape that is ravaging the communities. Rather she is blaming the government for the part that corruption is playing the situation. The medium is digitally, people from many different backgrounds and countries are educating themselves on Mail and Guardian, Africa’s best read.
“South African Riots Over Xenophobia Prompt Backlash Across Africa” is written by Julie Turkewitz. Julie Turkewitz is a national correspondent based in Denver. Turkewitz joined the New York Times in 2014 writing about vast issues like climate change, indigenous voting rights and more. The audience of the article are students and people who like to be informed about things that are happening in the world. “South Africa is facing a backlash after rioters in and around Johannesburg targeted immigrants from other African countries this week, torching their shops and leading to at least 10 deaths”(Turkewitz,1). The tone is assertive, Turkewitz is giving you the reality and the impact. Through this Turkewitz is expecting you to follow the story because the hostility must be exposed. The purpose of the article is to inform the readers about what is happening and South Africa but the implications of what has happened “Nigeria recalled its ambassador to South Africa. South Africa has shuttered its diplomatic missions in Nigeria, citing threats.” The genre of his article is nonfiction. Turkewitz is using nonfiction to convey the message that that the Xenophobic attacks will and have already had real effects. Turkewitz uses data, formal language and drawing entertainment to help relay her articles. “Two popular Nigerian musicians, Burna Boy and Tiwa Savage, said they were boycotting South Africa”(Turkewitz,1). By using this language of entertainers that young readers understand, it makes the matter more pressing because celebrities that they look up to are boycotting therefore, readers will pay attention to the story. Readers are able to have access to the NYT news online and by paper. The medium of this article is the internet. Readers are able to have access to the NYT news online and by paper. The stance is that Turkewitz doesn’t agree with the events of the xenophobia that took root in South Africa. She providers all the details of the events that are transpiring, the killings and the threat that it plays on the future of intra trade between African nations.
“Commodify the female body: Xenophobia in South Africa” was written by Naomi Nkealah is a lecturer in the Wits School of Education in Witwatersrand University. Nkealah’s concentration is African literature and feminist and gender studies. Nkealah is concerned and frank about the issues of Xenophobic attacks manifesting in the raping and killing of women. The author shows concerns of the excessive hyper sexualization and masculinity that takes it’s toll on the women. “The term masculinity is often used in the contemporary sense in which is often associated with violence. Domineering behavior by men”(Nkealah,132). The purpose in writing this is to inform dismantle the uncertainty about where the root of Xenophobic attacks in 2008 against immigrants and women. She wants to expose the real reason which is masculinity that’s causing danger to females and immigrants. The audience of this article is male South Africans and immigrants in South Africa because Akealah wants to caution men about the dangers of the sexualization and it’s relation to the patriarchal structures of society. “Therefore the loss of both a means of income and the opposite sex is a threat to such patriarchal and heteroenomative masculinities”(Akealah,132). The language that is being used in the article might confuse some because of the bluntness. Language like hyper masculinity are all terms that are associated with feminism and gender studies. Akealah takes a very clear stance as a feminist on the issue by supporting and protecting the health of African women. The Genre of the essay is nonfiction because Akelah states many different sources that supports her work. The medium of this article is the internet. The readers are able to access this digitally through the Jstor website.
Overall, the past Xenophobic attacks in 2008 and the recent acts in 2019 are all connected by the unresolved feelings of 2008 and hyper masculinity are a direct cause. Xenophobic acts in South Africa are rooted in self hate and anti blackness. Although people feel that Xenophobic attacks on immigrants and women are helping cleanse and create more jobs in South Africa. The reality is that these attacks are leaving South Africans in a state of poverty and uncertainty. From these sources the only answer is to unify Africa and for the governments to address this plague.
Work Cited Page
Jinnah, Zaheera.”South Africa is burning: femicide, xenophobia and protests” The M&G Online, September 04 2019
mg.co.za/article/2019-09-04-sa-is-burning-femicide-xenophobia-and-protests
Kiereini, DougIas. “How xenophobia took root in South Africa” Business Daily,September 05 2019.
Nkelealah, Noami. “Commodify the female body: Xenophobia in South Africa” Codersia, 2011
Turkewitz, Julie. “South African Riots Over ‘Xenophobia’ Prompt Backlash Across Africa” The New York Times, September 06 2019
www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/world/africa/south-africa-xenophobia-riots.html
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