Africa economy
Massive unemployment reignites xenophobic sentiments in South Africa
Audio 02:12
Members of Operation Dudula sing and chant anti-foreigner slogans during a demonstration at Diepkloof Extreme Park in Soweto, South Africa, on February 27, 2022. AFP - PHILL MAGAKOE
By: Romain Chanson Follow
2 mins
Anti-immigrant sentiment is resurfacing in South Africa.
The country has already been shaken by deadly xenophobic violence in 2008, 2015 or 2019. A movement called Operation Dudula is stepping up demonstrations to demand that illegal immigrants be sent home.
Actions are taken against businesses accused of employing too many foreigners.
The place occupied by foreigners in the labor market is a rising theme, especially among politicians, all sensibilities combined.
The fault in particular with an unemployment rate which breaks records: 35% at the last score.
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They are about a thousand to parade in the poor district of Hillbrow, in the center of Johannesburg this morning.
They sing in Zulu: “
Who told you to put yourself down in front of a stranger?
Not us, we stay straight!
If the official message is “
no jobs for undocumented migrants
”, the demands of the demonstrators go beyond this framework.
"
For the moment, we are concentrating on the undocumented, but even the other foreigners must make room for us, we must be able to work
" asserts this man.
"
We've had enough of immigrants taking over the country,
" said a woman.
There are people who have university degrees but stay at home due to lack of work.
»
These claims are the result of frustration: the unemployment rate is exploding, it exceeds 65% among 15-24 year olds.
A few streets away from the demonstration is a meeting of several collectives against xenophobia.
We find Shaheen Khan there.
He is worried about the continued deterioration of living conditions which fuels anti-immigrant sentiment.
“
The level of inequality is greater than under apartheid,
” says Shaheen Khan.
People are hungry.
We saw it during the July riots.
»
These riots followed the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma.
Political and social factors then mingled against the backdrop of a pandemic.
According to activist Terri Magott, anti-immigrant protests are fueled by an additional factor: untruths.
"
I don't know where this idea comes from that there is an influx of immigrants, but statistically, it's false,
" says Terri Maggot.
Same for jobs, there are few available, so how do you expect immigrants to take jobs that don't exist?
»
Politicians have a big responsibility in spreading these kinds of ideas, observes Khangelani Moyo, a researcher on migration issues.
“
When there is xenophobic violence, it is often triggered by political discourse,
” he explains.
We noticed this several times with Herman Mashaba, when he was mayor of Johannesburg.
Even in the last local elections, he campaigned on anti-immigrant sentiment
.
»
Today, it is the government that seems to buy into the idea that there are too many foreigners for certain jobs.
A law is being written to impose quotas.
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