On Strangers and Outsiders: Overcoming Xenophobia

Researchers and experts on xenophobia grappled with this issue as they tried to explain some of the factors which triggered violent attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa in May 2008.

The team of panellists included David Holdcroft (Country Director, Jesuit Refugee Service South Africa), Aubrey Matshiqi (Senior Research Associate, Centre for Policy Studies), Sibongile Mkhabela (Chairperson, Black Sash and CEO, Nelson Mandela Children's Fund), Michael Neocosmos (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape) and Tara Polzer (Senior Researcher, Forced Migration Studies Programme at Wits)

One of the most interesting and plausible findings that emerged from the roundtable discussion is that poverty and socio-economic factors are not the root causes of xenophobia in South Africa. This false notion had raged its way into the social sphere of South Africa and research findings have discounted it because it suggests that poor people are inherently violent.

Panellists agreed that xenophobia and the hatred of foreign nationals has its origins in the psyche and mindsets of individuals. Violent attacks on foreigners were an example of the human psyche and mindset playing itself out in reality.
 

This type of mindset is one of prejudice, hatred, racism and homophobia directed at foreigners and causes South Africans to rate themselves superior and more entitled to wealth and resources of the country ahead of their foreign counterparts.

Stronger government intervention was recommended by the panellists as one of the more effective ways of eradicating the dreadful treatment of foreigners in South Africa. There was also a general agreement amongst the audience that facilities around the country need to be created where foreigners can be able to access public services and be able effectively to use laws to ensure that their basic human rights are protected.

It was strongly argued that complete eradication of xenophobia will be facilitated with the changing of South African people’s mindsets of how they view foreigners. Feelings of brotherhood need to inform the way society relates to foreigners, and become translated into norms and values of compassion and care. These aspects can be facilitated by increased levels of education about foreigners, why they are here, and how they contribute economically, socially and culturally to South African society.