Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Faculty of Arts

School of Governmental and Social Science

SA 501: African Ethnography

Migration, Integration and

Xenophobia in South Africa

how the issues are being faced in a Township in an

Industrial Metropolis

Anna Ihle

September 2008

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2

Abbreviations 3

1.

Introduction 4

2.

Defining the problem 5

2.1.

Migration 5

2.2.

Integration 6

2.3.

Xenophobia 6

3.

Migration to South Africa 7

3.1.

Labour Migration (before 1994) 7

3.2.

Developments after 1994 8

3.3.

The 2002 Immigration Act 9

3.4.

Current Situation 9

4.

Foreigners and Society 10

4.1.

Xenophobia in the social order 10

4.2.

Attitudes towards Foreigners in South Africa 11

4.3.

Recent Xenophobic Occurrences in South Africa 12

4.4.

Reasons for Xenophobia and its Persistence 14

5.

Case Study in a Township in an Industrial Metropolis 14

6.

Solutions and Suggestions 16

7.

Conclusion and Outlook 17

References 19

Interview Guide 21

2

Abbreviations

NGO

Non-Governmental Organization

SADC

Southern Africa Development Council

SAMP

Southern African Migration Project

Nafcoc

National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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1. Introduction

In May 2008 South Africa dominated the international press in a negative way.

Xenophobic attacks occurred all over the country and horrified the national and

international public. In a short period of time violent actions spread from the greater

Johannesburg area in the North to the rest of the country. Pictures of mobs

aggressively advancing innocent foreigners shocked people around the globe.

How could this happen, in a state which celebrates its diversity as "rainbow nation"?

Government officials, political activists as well as ordinary South African citizens are

clueless on how this situation could arise so unexpectedly and how the situation

should be handled. Who was to blame for the recent rise of racial intolerance and

xenophobic aggression? How widespread is xenophobia really in the South African

pulic? Could the integration policies and programmes be held responsible? What

went wrong in the society in the past and at present? How is this issue being

confronted on a social as well as on a governmental side? These are all questions

that need to be discussed in a public debate to bring the nation forward in a time,

when most people have no idea on how to cope with the situation.

The immigration legislation and the whole treatment of aliens in the country were also

brought into discussion. Allusions of a ""flood of illegal aliens" who bring disease and

crime to the country and who are seen to be a threat to the social and fiscal stability

of South Africa" (McDonald 2000: 813) are existent in the public. It is therefore

necessary to learn about the definite situation of migrant labourers in the society

before trying to change the way of how things work on an official level. The "recent

trends in South Africa towards the blaming of noncitizens for stealing jobs and

competing for scarce resources are not only disturbing in terms of their implications

for violence against foreign workers and residents, but also because they do not

necessarily represent the realities of noncitizen participation in the South African

economy" (McDonald 2000: 838).

By investigating the complex situation of migration, integration and xenophobia the

research aims to provide an understanding. Furthermore is the enquiry necessary in

the attempt of tracing down the different paths in which xenophobia builds up and

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finds its way into society. It is believed that a lack of integration of migrant labourers

fosters the development of racial intolerance.

After the essential terms migration, integration and xenophobia are defined, the

history and contemporary situation of migration to South Africa is explained. The

following chapter focuses on the conditions of foreigners in the society and is

additionally linked to the issue of xenophobia. Thereafter is the presentation of the

case study conducted by the researcher, which will be also used as the foundation

for the following unit on suggestion for the confrontation of xenophobia. The final part

will provide an outlook on the South African society and its struggle with racial

intolerance.

2. Defining the problem

2.1. Migration

Migration

(from Latin

migratio

: movement), is the term to describe particular

processes of local movement by people. The term describes the movement of

people (individuals, groups or tribes) ,,from one part of something to another"(Oxford

Dictionary 1911). This is accompanied by a permanent change of place of living.

These movements are either within a certain area or region (urbanization ­ the

movement from rural to urban) or across borders as emigration (leaving the home

country) or immigration. These movements occur in different variations. It is not

always voluntarily but can also be forced by the outside.

The idiom `migrant laborer´ includes a range of patterns of participation in the labor

force, but simultaneously leaves out numerous other types of migration (Stichter

1985: 2). There is an tendency for immigrants to come first "as laborers in a typical

migrant pattern, but then establish themselves as independent producers and bring

in their families" (Stichter 1985: 3).

Migration counts as one of the most important factors of population development and

is therefore one of the core problems of economy, society, politics and culture in

retrospective as well as in present times.

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