Ominous forces behind SA chaos

By: James N. Kariuki

[ Posted On: 2008-06-17 ]

That xenophobia has always existed in post-apartheid South Africa is not in doubt. But little is known of what ignited the recent wave of xenophobic violence. Its intensity and rapid spread also baffled all, including the intelligence community.

President Thabo Mbeki publicly denounced the violence and appointed a panel to investigate it. Pending the panel's findings, there is rumour and speculation galore.

!B>Some attribute South African xenophobia generally to continental Africans.

When Black Africa embarked on its anti-apartheid campaign in the 1960s, one of its strategies was to isolate white-ruled South Africa from the international community. That isolation became so effective that the South Africa Black allies became strangers to their liberators. But why the recent surge of unmitigated hatred?

There is frustration in the congested black informal settlements due to lack of governmental deliveries and services, we are told. This condition is acute now that South Africa is in a bad economic cycle of high food prices, high utility bills and exorbitant oil prices.

Scapegoats

Simmering anger prevails in these communities, which are prone to finding scapegoats for their woes.

Non-South Africans are the most eligible candidates for the blame. After all, they are poor themselves, politically voiceless and live side by side with the deprived 'locals.' As the saying goes, throw a bone among hungry dogs and a fight will break out. Most of the violence was in the settlements.

Other observers agree that residents of the settlements are indeed angry and frustrated but attribute their plight to laziness. The perpetrators are idlers; hoodlums who do not want to work, they want everything for free. They resent the non-citizens because they work hard and earn their living. In this case violence against non-nationals is criminally driven.

Once projected as rivals, other accusations are easily assigned to non-citizens. Foreigners are stealing 'our jobs and our women.' White employers prefer foreigners because they accept lower wages. Foreigners commit less crimes.

Politicians also exploited the volatile situation. In Alexandra, Johannesburg, where trouble started, a pre-violence residents' meeting was informed by a community leader that the government had issued houses, some of which had been snatched by foreigners. Naturally, the locals were outraged. The police are looking for the man responsible for that incitement.

Claims of agitation escalate. There are speculations that there were ominous national forces behind the violence. How could it spread so quickly and so spontaneously across the country?

One such claim is that the violence was a manifestation of power struggle between Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. The anti-Mbeki faction would like failure to be Mbeki's legacy to SA; the beacon of Mbeki's presidency would be a successful World Cup in 2010. Even though the spectacle is scheduled to happen after Mbeki leaves office, its failure now would be devastating to his presidency. The best way to achieve that is to intimidate 'foreigners' from coming to SA. Presumably, the violence was a Zulu-based strategy to that end.

To Zuma supporters, the recent chaos were fuelled by the Mbeki faction to discredit him (Zuma). If the image can stick that Zuma is responsible for such widespread lawlessness, he certainly is not suitable for the country's presidency. In other words, the violence was pre-planned to destabilise next year's elections.

Another logic is that the violence was a consequence of Mbeki's "go softly" policy towards Zimbabwe. Robert Mugabe's policies and mismanagement have triggered massive exodus of refugees to SA, and Mbeki has made it relatively easy entering the country. Yet, departure of refugees from Zimbabwe defeated the Anglo-American purpose. International sanctions against Zimbabwe were imposed to put pressure on Zimbabweans to oust Mugabe. Refugees' exit to SA then became a safety valve, diverting political pressure from Mugabe, the intended target. SA violence was thus first and foremost anti-Zimbabweans, contrived to drive them back home to engage Mugabe.

There is an intimation here that there was a conspiracy of British, South African right wingers and Zimbabwe's opposition involvement in the SA violence. Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe's opposition leader, visited some of the violence-torn areas and his message to his countrymen was "let us go home."

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: James N. Kariuki - is head of the African Diaspora Unit at the Africa Institute of South Africa in Pretoria.

| View Profile & All Articles By: James N. Kariuki |

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