{"id":8141,"date":"2019-09-23T08:00:39","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T12:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thediplomaticenvoy.com\/?p=8141"},"modified":"2021-06-14T12:27:08","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T16:27:08","slug":"xenophobic-attacks-in-south-africa-its-nothing-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/thediplomaticenvoy\/2019\/09\/23\/xenophobic-attacks-in-south-africa-its-nothing-new\/","title":{"rendered":"Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa: It\u2019s Nothing New"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joaquin Matamis
\n<\/strong>Staff Writer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Last week, South Africa suffered several days of violent, xenophobic attacks against mostly foreign African migrants. Sunday\u2019s demonstrations were the largest, with many attacks led by disgruntled citizens who resorted to violence, looting, damaging property of migrants, and ransacking migrant businesses. These attacks were neither random nor\u00a0impulsive but\u00a0are\u00a0deeply rooted in the dark history of the nation and its legacy today.<\/p>\n

In 1994, South Africa triumphed in its fight against apartheid, marking an end to institutionalized racism in the nation. While the development of democracy\u00a0and increased political reform proved to be promising, a narrow version of Pan-Africanism slowly developed into the xenophobic sentiments and actions seen today. As\u00a0Christian Science Monitor<\/a>\u00a0reports, a variety of factors have fed xenophobic tensions, including a widening wealth gap, government corruption, and political scapegoating. As a result, many South Africans blame migrants and foreign nationals for the deteriorating conditions in their country.<\/p>\n

These issues have not been solved and they are being exacerbated by politicians and toxic societal norms.\u00a0The New York Times<\/a>\u00a0noted that local municipalities, townships, and even neighborhoods are to blame for propagating South African nationalism in its worst form. Hatred towards foreign nationals has spawned several false stereotypes and characteristics. Many blame migrants for increased crime, stealing jobs, and often view them through a predatory lens. Aaron\u00a0Motsoaledi, South Africa\u2019s former health minister, blamed foreigners for overcrowded hospitals and the increased spread of disease, says\u00a0The Economist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nigerian nationals were the people most affected by the recent attacks. While official reports indicate that no specific group was targeted in the attacks,\u00a0The Washington Post<\/a>\u00a0claims\u00a0that there are numerous\u00a0reports of \u201cwidespread anti-Nigerian rhetoric.\u201d The Nigerian government responded quickly, offering repatriation to those affected and those feeling unsafe in the country. Coordinated efforts were made to provide free flights back to Nigeria.<\/p>\n

CNN<\/a>\u00a0reports that at least 640 Nigerian citizens are being repatriated. In direct response, President\u00a0Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria announced that he would send a special investigative envoy to South Africa. As a result of the violence, the diplomatic strain between the two countries has grown tense. Nigeria has promised to boycott the World Economic Forum, which is to be hosted in Cape Town.<\/p>\n

South Africa has garnered a great deal of attention and condemnation on the world stage as a result of the violence. The African Union responded by condemning the attacks in its \u201cstrongest terms.\u201d The South African Bishops\u2019 Conference put out a strong statement regarding the recent violence, with one Bishop even\u00a0stating that the country\u2019s\u00a0xenophobic climate\u00a0holds\u00a0\u201cno difference to the rising tide of hatred in Nazi Germany,\u201d according to\u00a0Catholic News Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Internationally, non-government organizations have spread the news through social media, even adopting the hashtag\u00a0#saynotoxenophobia\u00a0to advocate for the affected groups. Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa\u2019s president, also strongly condemned the attacks and ordered that the country\u2019s diplomatic missions in Abuja and Lagos be temporarily closed.<\/p>\n

In these difficult times, South Africans can remember the words of the late Nelson Mandela, \u201cFor to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week, South Africa suffered several days of violent, xenophobic attacks against mostly foreign African migrants. These attacks were neither random nor\u00a0impulsive but\u00a0are\u00a0deeply rooted in the dark history of the nation and its legacy today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5094,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1726,382,1576,385],"tags":[409,472,1770,1771,1772],"class_list":["post-8141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-september-2019","category-international-news","category-1576","category-africa","tag-nigeria","tag-south-africa","tag-xenophobia","tag-nigerian-migrants","tag-xenophobic-attacks"],"yoast_head":"\nXenophobic Attacks in South Africa: It\u2019s Nothing New - The Diplomatic Envoy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/thediplomaticenvoy\/2019\/09\/23\/xenophobic-attacks-in-south-africa-its-nothing-new\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa: It\u2019s Nothing New - The Diplomatic Envoy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Last week, South Africa suffered several days of violent, xenophobic attacks against mostly foreign African migrants. 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