Africa: Politicians Scapegoating Immigrants

In what became a debate amongst a small group of residents [in Alexandra], another resident Kabelo Tsotetsi, defended immigrants, saying they were starting their own businesses and not taking jobs from South Africans. Tsotetsi said: "Our government doesn't make it easy for foreigners to live here, they don't get help. They come from countries where they are severely oppressed and they come here and face the same struggles as us. We are all Africans fighting for our dignity." - GroundUp, April 3, 2019

Such debates could undoubtedly be paralleled in many other countries, in Africa and around the world. But whether the tensions escalate to harassment or even violence depends in large part on the actions of politicians and other community leaders. Such political mobilization in South Africa, Jean Pierre Misago found in an empirical survey of incidents from 1994 to 2018, consistently provided the trigger for violence. And comments by politicians are again stirring up resentment in the lead up to national elections in May.

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