The causes and implications of violent attacks on foreigners in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisor Hough, Mike (Michael)
dc.contributor.postgraduate Adams, Dale Robin
dc.date.accessioned 2013-09-09T12:19:55Z
dc.date.available 2013-01-11 en
dc.date.available 2013-09-09T12:19:55Z
dc.date.created 2012-09-06 en
dc.date.issued 2012 en
dc.date.submitted 2012-12-10 en
dc.description Mini Dissertation (MA (Security Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2012. en
dc.description.abstract The main objective of this study is to identify factors which explain why certain South Africans have taken the law into their own hands and launched a campaign against certain foreigners, which very rapidly transformed into violent conflict, and what the main implications of these attacks are, specifically in the security sphere. To achieve this aim, the study provides a conceptual framework based on the broadened concept of security and the increasing emphasis on threats to societal security in addition to state security, as well as the increasing emphasis on non-military threats such as mass migration. The study analyses attacks on foreigners between 1994 and 2009 with some reference to incidents in 2010. The study further discusses and analyses the causes of the 2008 and 2009 attacks on foreigners in South Africa, and the economic, diplomatic, and security implications of the attacks. Official and unofficial South African views, and international perceptions and views relating to the causes and effects of the attacks, are also included. The study concludes that foreigners from African countries were targeted because they were easily recognised and also because they lived alongside the perpetrators competing for scarce resources. How the foreigners came to reside in South Africa, whether legally, illegally, or as refugees or asylum-seekers, seemed to be irrelevant. Early indicators and warnings regarding the attacks were available, but not sufficient to provide actionable intelligence, and some warnings were not followed up. The economic recession in South Africa; poor local service delivery, and the continuous flow of illegal foreigners and refugees to South Africa may have been some of the factors responsible for attacks on foreigners between 1994 and 2007. The May 2008 attacks however seemed to be caused by more than just these factors, some of which were already previously evident in certain areas, for instance business competition which seemed to be the main underlying motive for attacks on Somalis during this time. Other factors include the absence of effective local authorities; absence of legitimate leadership; criminal elements, and the role of the media. Copyright en
dc.description.availability Restricted en
dc.description.department Political Sciences en
dc.description.faculty Humanities
dc.identifier.citation Adams, DR 2012, The causes and implications of violent attacks on foreigners in South Africa, MSecurity Studies dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-12102012-131314 / > en
dc.identifier.other F12/9/335/gm en
dc.identifier.upetdurl http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-12102012-131314/ en
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/31487
dc.language.iso en en
dc.publisher University of Pretoria
dc.rights © 2012, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria en
dc.subject UCTD en
dc.subject Refugees en
dc.subject Political security en
dc.subject National security en
dc.subject Migration en
dc.subject Illegal foreigners en
dc.subject Foreigners en
dc.subject Environmental security en
dc.subject Economic security en
dc.subject Asylum-seekers en
dc.subject Xenophobia
dc.title The causes and implications of violent attacks on foreigners in South Africa en
dc.type Mini Dissertation en


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