The Key Factors And Influence Of Xenophobia In South Africa

South Africa as a country, is known to be a free, democratic, and a developing country. Even more, most people refer to South Africa as the ‘’ Rainbow nation’’. Mainly because of its multicultural diversity, in addition to its long history of apartheid. However, because of its reputation, it has attracted many migrant foreigners from all over the world. Over the years, South Africa has been a host to a variety of African immigrants. For instance, in the 1980s, they welcomed immigrants from Mozambique and Nigeria. Hence, in the early 1990s, other immigrants from Angola, Somalia, Rwanda, and Burundi. (McKnight, 2008). According to the United Nations, High Commissions of Refugee about 1.9 million immigrants live in South Africa, making up 3.7%

The first contributing factor behind xenophobia is the influence of westernization. In other words, because of the colonial history that South Africa had with Europe, it developed a sense of superiority compared to other African countries. Furthermore this sense of superiority; contains this prevalent idea that ‘’ our country is not really in Africa and that our intellectual and cultural frame is from the western world; precisely the United States and Europe. (Mjondolo, 2008). Also, this sense of superiority is what Rolonda Czada, from the University of Cape Town, defines as ‘’South Africa Exceptionalism’’ (Czada, 2002). Similarly, this illusion of exceptionalism, it what some analysts suggest may have led to the violent attacks. Even more, the Malawian scholar Paul Zeleza conceptualizes this illusion, in his view, conveying; ‘this racialized devaluation of black lives is what we are witnessing in South Africa today in the xenophobic violence against African immigrants perpetrated by fellow Africans whose own lives were devalued during the long horrific days of apartheid. Racialized superiority and inferiority complexes continue to stalk us…’, and explain why ‘shades of blackness have become a shameful basis for distinguishing African immigrants among black South