Interrogating the perceptions of some South Africans towards African migrants

Abstract

South Africa has witnessed several xenophobic attacks over the years. Many African migrants, both legal and illegal, have been humiliated and killed in violent acts of hatred fuelled by the country's existing socioeconomic pressures and instigated by the media and politicians. Research on xenophobia has so far revealed South Africans do hold certain negative perceptions about African migrants, even though their validity has not been sufficiently proven to justify the motivation for these xenophobic attacks. This study adopts a desktop /secondary research approach: existing data from books, journals, articles, news reports and official publications were critically analysed and used in the study. The study presents and interrogates four perceptions to expose their invalidity. Findings revealed more valid reasons for the cause of xenophobia and the socio-economic problems South Africa faces daily. Furthermore, the perceptions of native South Africans towards African migrants are invalid, and lack sufficient evidence to support them, but that the real reasons behind xenophobic attacks are constructs and consequences made by the South African government. There is no justified need for widespread discrimination and violence towards an already disadvantaged group of people.