South Africa: The hidden calculus of xenophobia
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The conventional explanation for South Africa’s recurring waves of xenophobic violence is now familiar: a stagnant economy, high unemployment, and migrants cast as convenient scapegoats. But that’s not the whole story.
Researchers have found that violent protests in South Africa — including xenophobic ones — are closely tied to factional, internal battles within the African National Congress.
During Jacob Zuma’s state capture years, when competing factions were accommodated with preferential access to jobs, contracts, and state resources, violent demonstrations were relatively rare.
In times of less blatant elite accommodation, factions often mobilise violent protests to negotiate for power. In that sense, migrants might be on the banners – but protest leaders and their backers are often seeking positions and influence within the ANC and state structures, more than they want change in immigration policy.
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A post of mine from Facebook that has gained traction. Excuse the shorthand for non South Africans
South Africa today,
The significant size of some of the xenophobic marches, the bystander role of the police, the lurch of the black middle class opinion , itself precarious, are a rude wake up call for those of us who are active in our wider society
That’s the one thing.
The sugar daddies of OpD, MoM inside MKP and now Mayibuye, the PA, ActionSA is another. Not to mention the DA and new, the outside funding being channeled in. We can summise where this emanates from. We know Morroco is financing MKP following their decision not to support the claims of those from the Western Sahara, we know the zionists are busy on our door step.
The fact that a full 30 percent of the 600 odd registered parties have openly xenophobic platforms shows how fast the slide to the far right has become in SA.
Combined this represents a qualitatively new and dangerous period for those amongst who subscribe to a socialist/ progressive vision for SA
The trade unions and all of the federations are being pulled along in its tide. The President of SOPA surprising poor key note at today’s commemoration in Freedom Park, Devland shows you how the deep the rot has gone. But our numbers and our stated intention at the same event to defend the migrants forced MoM to cancel their own mobilisation. Today’s Cape Town MoM March no more than 50.
MKP pre March in Ivory Park big from the photos they are marching tomorrow on the 17th.
MoM in Lenasia on the 18th. We summise they will attempt to march to Thembalithle, where there is a sizeable migrant community , we will be there and ready for them.
Back to the post, this is the proverbial tinder box burning , the ticking time bomb exploding in faster motion that hitherto seen. The scenes at Sherwood and Che Guevara are the most telling in this respect . Not one religious institution prepared to open their doors. The state has banned the setting up of refugee centres. Food Aid being provided with no branding for fear of reprisals.
We need all hands on deck, we need the academics and radical student formations to argue that the university needs to become a place of refuge in the run up 30th June and beyond to the elections later in the year.
The social justice donors need to catch a wake up call and smell the coffee. And allow funds to be diverted as they did with COVID and provide emergency funds for coalitions that are emerging to confront the scourge.
We need teach ins happening in our own movements, we are not immune, our own recent mobilisations against new anti democratic legislation has made that clear. Likewise we need education programmes in the schools, colleges and universities.
We need to counter the social media bots being employed against our unity. We need our own humanistic propaganda to be highly visible.
It’s begins with the right starting point.
Forward to the United Sates of Africa
Build the Siyafana Sonke
Campaign against Xenophobia
130 organisation including mass based SAFTU, AbM and counting
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