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In post-apartheid South Africa, there are an alarming number of stories illustrating high levels of violence and discrimination. Recent spates of xenophobia during the month of May, and increasing levels of violence, begs the question where does this come from?
A number of social scientists are beginning to recognize of the pervasiveness of ‘exclusionism’ in modern South Africa. The most conspicuous example of this phenomenon is the recent outbreak xenophobic violence around the country. The decision to sadistically ‘eject’ people from their communities was based, largely, on their apparent ‘foreignness’ which in a number of cases was based on skin tone.
On the 3rd July 2008, the president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, held a day of national tribute in remembrance of the outbreak of violence in May: over 60 people lost their lives. In his speech that was beamed around the country, he described the attacks as “naked criminal activity” masked “in the garb of xenophobia”. This is a clear indication that Mr. Mbeki, and many in government, fail to appreciate the true sentiment on the ground.
Indeed, much of the violence was fuelled by criminal intent, but, there is also hatred for other black people. The legacy of apartheid in South Africa has created a situation that many South Africans still do not perceive themselves as being on the African continent. It is common in conversation for South Africans to describe their continental brother as ‘a person from Africa’. On a personal level, I have experienced this type of negativity a number of times. Being the product of a marriage between a South African woman and a Nigerian man, I have been asked by many people, even so-called educated people, what Africa is like? I have experienced social exclusion on the basis of my name. When the recent outbreak of violence occurred, my mother was told jokingly/threateningly that her children would be sent out of the country because they are from Africa.
The ghosts of our colonial masters must be having a great laugh at our expense.
This type of exclusionism, however, is present in all levels of society. This can be seen in: the negative reaction, in some quarters, to the recent court victory of the Chinese community and, the degree of contempt for children of mixed heritage. The anger at the court ruling allowing the Chinese community to benefit from black economic empowerment is disappointing. Given South Africa’s colourful history and cultural composition, it is unacceptable to reject people simply on the basis of ethnicity or skin colour.
It would be too simplistic to blame the socio-political challenges that the country is currently facing on poverty and inequality. This is not to say that they are not factors but, the reality is that despite its fantastic constitution and wonderful laws, South Africa is currently at a point where it needs to clarify what is means to be a South African. Arguably, without a clear sense of national identity, there will be little tolerance of migrant communities residing in the country. Also, the high levels of violence in the country, to a degree, could be attributed to the fact that as a nation we do not know who we are and what our collective values are.
Since 1994, we have been witness to a number of short-lived attempts to create national discourse around national identity. In the last few years, the South African Broadcasting Corporation has flighted a number of advertisements and television programmes in this vein but, there has yet to be anything that has sparked off identity discourse in any meaningful way. The ‘Proudly South African’ campaign, for instance, has not garnered the support it should.
In a number of ways the government has tried to instill a sense of national pride, we have seen this most recently in the proposal for a pledge/ oath of allegiance to be recited by school children. As much as this is a step in the right direction, it is not enough to erase the centuries of forced denial of self. Civil society, the business community and the State need to work together to counter exclusionism in our society. If this is not done soon, we would see repeats of the anarchic scenes of May only it would not be confined to African migrant communities.
Every South African- Black, White, Asian or Oriental- needs to be able to say to the world ‘I am a proud South African and these are my values’.
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Odilile Lindiwe Ayodele
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