Xenophobia in South Africa

A series of riots occurred in South Africa which began on May 12, 2008. Reports as of May 19, 2008 indicated that at least 22 people had been killed with several hundred injured. In addition some 6,000 had sought sanctuary in police stations, churches and community halls.

The riots began on May 12, 2008 in the Alexandra township of South Africa when locals attacked migrants from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe killing two people and injuring 40 others.

The violence spread to other townships later in the week across the Gauteng Province of South Africa with riots reported in several settlements including Diepsloot, Johannesburg, Jeppestown, Hillbrow and others. It was reported that near Reiger Park on the East Rand, a man was burnt to death. Police had arrested more than 200 people on charges including murder, attempted murder, rape, public violence and robbery. Armed police used tear gas and rubber bullets to quell rioting in central Johannesburg, attacks on foreigners and looting of foreign owned shops. It appears that the violence has now spread to the coastal city of Durban.

Background

As a result of unrest in Zimbabwe, two to four million Zimbabweans are believed to have fled to South Africa. The immigrants have become accused as a principal source of such social problems as unemployment, crime and insufficient housing.

Attacks on foreign nationals increased markedly in late 2007 and it is believed that there have been at least a dozen attacks since the start of 2008. The most severe incidents occurred on January 8, 2008 when two Somali shop owners were murdered in the Eastern Cape towns of Jeffreys Bay and East London and in March 2008 when seven people were killed including Zimbabweans, Pakistanis and a Somali after their shops and shacks were set alight in Atteridgeville near Pretoria.

Johannesburg

In Johannesburg, mobs launched attacks on foreigners from neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique. A total of 22 people were killed since mid-May 2008. More than 6,000 people have fled.

The violence against foreigners, who are accused by many South Africans of depriving locals of jobs and committing crime, spread across townships.

On May 18, an immigrant died after being covered with his own blankets and set alight. The image of the human fireball was captured on the front-page of several South African papers on May 19.

Reaction

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, in temporary exile in South Africa, expressed concern about the attacks on his countrymen and appealed to South Africans to treat the immigrants with sympathy rather than vilification. South African labour union federation COSATU also criticised the government's response and policies. Officials appealed to locals in an attempt to quell the violence.

The Zimbabwe Exiles Group criticised the South African government's response, in particular Thabo Mbeki, and accused him of being "more concerned with appeasing Mr. Mugabe than recognising the scale of the problem caused by the flood of Zimbabweans into South Africa."

In response to the violence President Thabo Mbeki announced he would set up a panel of experts to investigate the riots. African National Congress leader Jacob Zuma, condemned the attacks, saying "We cannot allow South Africa to be famous for xenophobia" in a speech in Pretoria.

European Union officials are terrified that these acts of wanton violence could herald the mythic Armageddon known as "The Great Pan-African Nigger Moment."