TransAfrica Policy Experts available for interviews

TransAfrica Forum condemns the xenophobic violence that has erupted in South Africa, which so far has claimed the lives of at least 40 people and displaced an estimated 16,000 immigrants and nationals.

Nicole Lee, TransAfrica Forum’s Executive Director provides the following assessment: “The violence represents the intersection of two major unresolved issues. First, there is the case of Zimbabwe’s economic and political crises, which has resulted in the creation of millions of economic refugees, many of whom have fled to South Africa. Secondly, despite the early promise of South Africa’s majority government, it has been unable to adequately resolve the economic legacy of apartheid. Millions of South Africans are unemployed, impoverished, and live without access to clean water, electricity, or health care. Migrants are seen as further threats to their ability to achieve an adequate standard of living.”

“This violence, in many ways was just waiting to erupt given the tense conditions that all poor South Africans face whether they are indigenous, naturalized or undocumented,” states Roxanne Lawson, TransAfrica Forum’s Africa Policy Director.

The violence, which began as mob attacks against immigrants in the Alexandra Township, north of Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province, has shocked most South Africans. The African National Congress identified the attacks as “not only [on] foreigners,” but also as “an assault on the values of our democratic society.” The Congress of South African Trade Unions has condemned the violence and is working with the NGO Doctors without Borders to identify hotspots and to provide staff to accompany doctors.

The violence quickly spread throughout Gauteng to the provinces of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal. At the request of the South African Police Service (SAPS) President Thabo Mbeki has approved the engagement of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to help quell the violence. The fighting is the worst unrest since the end of the apartheid era.

TransAfrica Forum’s contacts in South Africa report a ‘surreal’ and frightening scenario: ‘Four million Zimbabweans are here not to mention the Mozambicans, Nigerians, Somalians…essentially we have poor people fighting other poor people’. Analysts also point out that in addition to spontaneous episodes of mob violence, and coordinated criminal gang activity, that some attacks have been systematic and well organized. Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Aziz Pahad, speaking to AFP reporters likened the violence “… to the third forced of the apartheid government operatives which he said was found to be responsible for much of the apparently black-on-black violence before the first democratic elections in 1994.” A government inter-departmental task team has been established to determine the genesis of the violence. According to Pahad the team will report its findings to President Mbeki. Pahad also noted that: “The only time that South Africa has experienced this form of violence was pre-1994 and we all know this was politically motivated…Since then all reports have indicated that the black-on-black violence was not a spontaneous occurrence but was politically motivated. The symptoms are very much the same.”

Zimbabweans, the largest immigrant group, have born the brunt of the recent violence. Horrific attacks have seen victims burnt, hacked, and stoned. Many victims have been injured and there are widespread reports of rape. Migrants from other African countries as well as some South African nationals have been caught up in the violence. Thousands have now fled their homes and sought sanctuary in police stations, churches and premises used by aid groups.

In Durban a Nigerian-owned tavern was attacked by a mob of 150 men who in addition to beating patrons also ransacked the tavern and stole cash, liquor, cell phones and jewelry, pointing to the criminal element engaged in the riots as well.

To date, at least four “community leaders” have been arrested for inciting the xenophobic attacks. A total of 400 people have been arrested country-wide for participating in the attacks.

TransAfrica Forum applauds South Africa’s leading organizations, including the African National Congress, the Congress of South African Trade Unions and its affiliates, the social movements, and faith-based organizations that have quickly mobilized to condemn the violence and to offer shelter to the victims.

Background

Migrant workers from the countries surrounding South Africa were actively imported into the country to work in the minefields. This was a convenient relationship of the business community, the British government—who had colonies in countries such as Bechuanaland (Botswana), Basutoland (Lesotho), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (Malawi)—and the South African government. The workers were processed through what was called the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (popularly known as WENELA). Workers were given one year (or 11 months) contracts to work in the mines.

This system ensured that the labor was cheap and controlled, and indirectly served was a divide and rule mechanism of apartheid South Africa. And this served the segregated system well.

Migration and the impact of undocumented workers in South Africa continue to be an issue in the post-apartheid period. In 1997 a report coauthored by the Human Sciences Research Council and the Institute for Security Studies reported that 65 percent of South Africans supported forced repatriation of undocumented migrants. South Africa civil society and religious leaders have called for an end to the violence and have maintained that the root of the conflict is neither xenophobia nor criminality rather a growing sense of dissatisfaction among the poor. Some prominent clergy have called for a national dialogue in South Africa to discuss the issue as violence spreads to other regions of South Africa in the Zulu heartland of KwaZulu Natal.

TransAfrica Forum is the leading U.S. advocacy organization for Africa and the African Diaspora in U.S. foreign policy. TransAfrica Forum helped lead the world protest against apartheid in South Africa. In March of this year, TransAfrica sent two policy analysts to observe the election in Zimbabwe.