SOUTH AFRICA A

CALVARY STATE
FOR FOREIGNERS
In defence of the Victim of Xenophobia in South
Africa: Abale Justin Ebalo's story told
By
The South African Refugee Action – SARA
E-mail: [email protected]

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions
expressed by Mr. Ebalo

“When brothers fight to the death, a stranger stands to inherit their property” – African Proverb.

Every year in South Africa, foreign attract votes from black poor voters.
nationals are being targeted by local Through blatant lies, othering and
South Africans for reasons that are yet scaremongering, foreigners are blamed
known by many. Xenophobic violence for many of South Africa’s woes and
against foreign nationals continues to be social ills. All political parties are guilty.
worsened. Since 1994, South Africa
witnessed a widespread of xenophobic In a society where violence against
attacks against foreign nationals in foreign nationals is pervasive and
various provinces of South Africa such xenophobic sentiments are common,
as Gauteng, Western Cape, Free State, irresponsible leaders continue to
Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal. There has manufacture an atmosphere of crisis.
been this and much speculation of the
causes and triggers of the violence but a Politicians claim that foreigners
real cause remained unknown. A are flooding South Africa and
number of reports have highlighted undermining country’s security, stability
various issues contributing to and prosperity. Yet, according to the
xenophobia; some of which include poor 2011 census, South Africa isn’t
service delivery and competition for overwhelmed with immigrants, with
resources. But some experts and some 2.2-million international migrants
politicians such as Julius Malema (about 4% of the population) in the
argue that foreign nationals may not be country in 2011. Statistics South Africa
subject of attacks due to lack of service Community Survey 2016 puts the
delivery by the South African number of foreign born people at 1.6
government. The type of leadership million, out of the population of 55
within communities might have an million at the time. While there are a
impact on whether or not xenophobic number of methodological issues with
attacks occur in certain communities, the Stats SA Community Survey, it
which talks to issues of governance. The would not be surprising if this figure is
issue is not only about safety of foreign correct, especially as the Department of
nationals and their rights, but about the Home Affairs has deported close to 400
safety of all who live in South Africa. 000 foreign nationals since 2012.
Most incidents of violent attacks have
been carried out by black South Africans South Africa is one of the most unequal
against other black Africans. countries in the world. More than half of
the population lives in poverty. The
Also, some politicians use all kinds of inequality and hardships experienced by
xenophobic statements who consider the majority of South Africans are
anti-immigrant sentiments, xenophobic rooted in the country’s colonial and
and Afrophobic rhetoric as a way to apartheid racist legacy, as well as the

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
post-1994 failures to transform the Africa. Despite a peaceful democratic
economy and society. Yet, listening to country, the reality is far beyond for
many politicians one gets the impression foreign nationals who continue to live in
it’s all the immigrants’ fault. fear whether in in streets, at homes, in
public transports, hospitals and even in
Both the ANC-led government and the schools.
Democratic Alliance (DA) want to build
higher fences at the border to prevent In this regards, the purpose of this
foreigners from coming in and narrative is not to iterate all the contents
undermining South Africa’s socio- of xenophobic, on-going attacks and
economic development and security. persecution against foreign nationals in
Politicians claim that foreigners are the South Africa but is to look at a specific
main reason for high crime rates; case of multiple attacks perpetuated by
immigrants are blamed for the local people who are against foreigners
hardships experienced by poor South is South Africa. This is the case for Mr
Africans and for overrunning South Abale Ebalo where we are trying to
Africa’s cities. explain what motivated the attacks, and
to show the police, judiciary and South
In 2017, South Africa’s deputy police African government are working not to
minister claimed that the city of protect foreigners in South Africa but to
Johannesburg was taken over by enable the continuance of attacks,
foreigners, with 80% of the city xenophobic violence and impunity in the
controlled by them. If this is not country targeting foreign nationals. To
urgently stopped, he added, the entire do this, we must begin with the story of
country “could be 80% dominated by Mr Ebalo, a far off national from the DR
foreign nationals and the future Congo but already a South African
president of South Africa could be a citizen by naturalised. His status as a
foreign national.” The mayor of South African citizen doesn't spare him
Johannesburg often speaks about “our against attacks, persecutions or doesn't
people” and “those people” [the give him full rights and guarantee as a
foreigners] who make South Africa into proudly citizen of South Africa. this is
a “lawless society.” The Economic often because, despite being a South
Freedom Fighters has questioned African citizen, Mr Ebalo still being
whether those born outside the considered as a far off national and
country—even the people born abroad to doesn't deserve all the rights, privileges
South African parents—can ever be and treatment by local South Africans
trusted or regarded as “proper South who consider him as a far off and need
Africans.” to be treated together when treating
others. This brief story, although
The purpose of this narrative is to specifically focuses on Mr Ebalo, is more
analyse the life in danger many foreign generally the story of the bulk of foreign
nationals face on a daily basis in South nationals in South Africa.

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
A Life Thrice Endangered - What Is Behind The Recent
Wave Of Violence?
The first time that Ebalo escaped with his unfortunate that, the wife was raped and
life was in April 2015. An outbreak of that they took all properties (phones,
violence in South African cities in recent laptops, radio, TV, fridge etc.). Police was
months that has been widely described as called, but they came in the morning. This
xenophobic has prompted questions over is often how foreign national suffer double
whether the country is safe for migrants, victimization both within the hands of
with at least a dozen killed in the unrest. It local communities and state agencies. He
is also forcing the government to confront was asked to open a case of attack,
widespread frustration over persistent extortion and rape. Few days later, the
poverty and unemployment. wife saw the same guys and alerted police
van; they were stopped and brought to
Many see high unemployment as a driver police station. When the wife called the
of resentment against foreigners, who are husband (Ebalo) to come at the police
viewed as taking away jobs from South station, when he arrived, one amongst the
Africans. Joblessness has reached up to 30 police called him aside, and said, “Look,
percent among males in townships across you need to make this easy to save your
the country, and recurrent waves of rioting life because those guys are innocent and
have often been tied to downturns in the may come after you once released. So
economy. There is anecdotal evidence that make things easy by declaring that you
mobs have targeted shops and small simply do not know them” Then, they
businesses owned by Nigerians, Somalis, called the guys and asked me, “do you
Congolese and Zimbabweans. recognize those guys? I said “yes, i was
attacked but I run away and didn't see
Particularly to the present, Ebalo was their faces, so my wife saw them because,
directly targeted by a mob of local people they have spent over 3 hours in my house
and accusing him to occupy the work that and even raped my wife” “So, my wife is
was alleged to be occupied by local people. well positioned to identify them easily and
When trying to argue, he was directly that’s what she did.” Police asked again, so
brutally attacked. Others warned him that you do not know them? I answered, “I
“he will be later visited”. On the night of have said, asked my wife”. Then, they have
an equivalent day, Ebalo was attacked by a chased us out then afterward, the guys
same group of local people. They broke the were released without any investigation.
house during the night, when he heard For Ebalo family to be safe, that they had
that, he tried to not panic the family (wife to run from one area to other due to their
and children), he escaped and hiding in safety. This really proves how the attack of
toilet’s ceiling. Consistent with questions Mr. Ebalo may be a state agencies'
asked to the wife, Ebalo was particularly complicity because he was forced to testify
targeted and by this point, he could risk wrongly against his perpetrators and
his life. They have tried to look therefore the police have taken the role of
everywhere, they didn't find him, and then the prosecutor by proving that the accused
they have started interrogating the wife is guilty. That’s clear evidence of no access
and said to her that she is going to pay the to justice for thousands of foreign
price for the husband. It had been very nationals in the Republic of South Africa.

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
Foreign Nationals in South Africa face looting, violence
and sometimes even death
In June 2016, only majority
Abale Ebalo, a foreign
of shops and buildings national from the DR
belongings to foreigners were Congo and lived in South
looted across South Africa as Africa for the past 19 years,
local communities including question: what have I done
politician figures are pointing to deserve such treatment?
fingers to foreign nationals for For how long will I continue
taking opportunities allegedly
to live in fear? When this
meant poor South Africans.
treatment will end?

“Look at my bakery, I worked hard to develop this bakery for

years, but sadly people from nowhere just came to warn me that i
must close the business because I even have occupied a place that
was supposed to be occupied by them. Once I reported to the owner,
he said the place was there and nobody came to propose him, they
must leave those nonsense but they kept intimidating me by telling
my workers that if i do not close the business, I'll regret my life. So,
there have been a specific day, little boy came then took the sweets
without paying when he was asked to pay, he said this business
must be closed and your boss must return to his country, the second
time, another one came, it had been then sort of a system where
they're going to come and take my stuff within payment even
adults also old people. Then, I employed a watchman to assist me.
When, they came again, the guard beat one among them. During
the fight, others came and said why do you want to die due to this
krerekwere? Then, the guy said, I'm working here (in local
language), then said, we'll see that job. Then, in few days, my
bakery was looted.

When police came, i was only advised to leave the area without the
worse happens to me, said Mr. Ebalo.

According to community leaders, the attacks are being planned and built for several
months and police is aware about such plan. Anti-immigrant rhetoric are circulating
on social media and among groups who allege immigrants cheat their customers
with out-of-date produce in their shops, take jobs from locals and defraud the state.

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
Ebalo's Father Death and His Family Asylum in France
“I was once again attacked in my
house, and my father was killed. Due
to this event, I run to Zimbabwe
because I was really afraid to be the
next person to die. Upon my return to
South Africa in in 2018, I found my
wife and kids were already assisted
by UNHCR and were resettled to
France” Mr Ebalo declared

In April 2017, Ebalo family was Ongoing violence attacks against

targeted by a number of local people. foreigners in South Africa are not new
Fortunate enough Mr. Ebalo wasn't after a post-apartheid democratic
present during that day. on that same government. According to various
day, the daddy of Mr. Ebalo was reports, more than 600 attacks
brutally killed. according to the occurred between 1994 and 2018.
killers, they declared that Mr. Ebalo The attacks seem to spike
and his father didn't obey to the periodically; more than 100 attacks in
repeated instructions given to them 2008 left more than 60 people dead,
(foreigners) to evacuate South Africa and more than 70 attacks occurred in
and return back to their country of 2015. This year (2019) is on track to
origin which is DR Congo. With such be another violent one, with more
incident, Mr. Ebalo was forced to run than 40 incidents already recorded.
from South Africa to sought asylum More than half of the incidents
in Zimbabwe. Upon his return to unfolded in Johannesburg, the
South Africa , he found his family was country's largest city. The roots of the
already evacuated by the UNHCR to anger against foreigners are difficult
France. to pin down.

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
Ongoing Savage Attacks Against Foreigners With State
Agencies’ Complicity

Instigators and perpetrators of

xenophobic violence are well
known in their respective
communities, but the de facto
impunity they enjoy only means
that they are likely - as they
have in many cases - to strike
again. Jean Pierre Misago – A researcher with the African
Centre for Migration and Society at the University of the
Witwatersrand, South Africa

Some politicians and officials figures have amplified the widely held belief that foreigners own
an outsized share of businesses in the country, particularly in the poorer townships. At a press
conference on Monday, South Africa's former deputy minister of police, Bongani Mkongi,
claimed that residents of the Hillbrow neighborhood of Johannesburg are 80% foreign born.

"We cannot surrender South Africa to foreign nationals," he said. "That is a matter of principle.
We fought for this country, not only for us, but for generations of South Africans." (Solomon,
2019, pp7). “You won’t find South Africans in other countries dominating a city up to 80%... we
cannot surrender South Africa to foreign nationals.” ~ South Africa Deputy Minister of Police
Bongani Mkongi

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
The fact-checking website AfricaCheck
examined his claim and found it to be "The government is not able to deliver
false. basic services to those areas. And to justify
their delivery failures, they blame those
A few weeks after Mkongi’s comments, foreign nationals for delivery failures: 'If
Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba, you don't find medicine in your clinic it is
made a variation of this claim, saying that because of foreign nationals. There are too
“as many as 80%” of the residents of many and they are taking it and walking
Johannesburg’s inner city were away from you,'" Misago said.
undocumented foreigners.
Also, the South African
Africa Check fact-checked the mayor’s NGO Right2Know stated that xenophobia
claim in September 2017 and found it to be and the resulting riots were partly the
incorrect, with at least three sources of result of "xenophobic populism" espoused
data contradicting it. by South African politicians such
as Goodwill Zwelithini, Herman Mashaba,
In response, the mayor’s office said that and President Cyril Ramaphosa and this
the statistic was from Mashaba’s “own proved state complicities in various riots
experience” during raids of impaired or against foreign nationals in South Africa. A
illegally occupied buildings in the inner number of South African celebrities such
city. as Nadia Nakai, Manaka Ranaka,
and Cassper Nyovest were also publicly
Anger against foreigners dates back critical of xenophobia and the resulting
decades, said Jean Pierre Misago, a riots.
researcher at the African Center for
Migration and Society at the University of In response to the recent spate of attacks,
the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. some South African politicians are now
seeking to cool the rhetoric. President Cyril
Because of the oppressive restrictions of Ramaphosa said there is no justification
apartheid, black people were forced to live for the violence and convened security
in poor areas known as townships. When ministers to develop a response plan.
immigrants arrived and looked for
business opportunities, they often found In an interview with VOA's Peter
that these same townships were the only Clottey, Godrich Gardee, the general
places where they could afford to open secretary of South Africa's Economic
shops. Freedom Fighters political party, said the
killing of Africans by other Africans is
This bred anger and resentment. "They unacceptable and must be punished.
say, 'You are taking our business. You are
undermining our businesses. We are now "Africa was a borderless
competing with you for scarce jobs and continent," Gardee said. "The borders were
scarce resources. And we don't want imposed [on] us by the imperialists and
that,'" Misago told VOA. colonialists, and we shall continue to
condemn that conduct by the communities
Political leaders unable to deliver services against our fellow brothers and sisters
and jobs for their constituents often from other parts of Africa."
scapegoat immigrants.

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
Mr. Ebalo Continues to be a Victim of Xenophobic
Attacks by Local South African Mobs
In September 2019, once again, Mr continued to fight or cry out, the mob
Ebalo becomes one of xenophobia would surely have killed him. But
victims. This time, the attack, when it knowing that nobody would come to
came, was horrific. Without any help him, that the arrangements had
cause, immediately, the 4 people already all been made to get rid of
jumped on me. They began to him once and for all, he lay still and
indiscriminately hit me: my head, listened to the men talk.
back, chest, hands, legs--every part of
Stranger enough to believe, when a
the body. When asked why he is being
police van arrived, they began
beaten, they replied shout up
coordinating with the attackers.
skebengo (thief) and other joined
them and started to beat and Finally, the police agreed to call an
screaming in local language ―kill him ambulance so Mr Ebalo could be
at once‖. Many others screaming taken to hospital. At this time it
and others were hitting me with seemed that he was dead, or would
rod and stick. I cried out for help. soon die. When arriving at hospital,
But nobody responded to my cry. nurses and ambulance staff kept him
on the veranda and offered no help.
Then, they took away my mobile
Later, after two to three hours he was
phone and some money that I had in
then assisted and at last he received
my pockets. I was almost dead there."
treatment, and from where he could
At this moment, what saved him was tell his story.
his own sense to feign death. Had he

The most elementary things not done by either

police or the court
Let us now take a moment to consider The role of the police in enabling the
the role of state agencies during and attack and colluding with the
following the attack on Mr Ebalo. attackers is obvious. After the attack,
What we find is that across all of with a large amount of national and
these agencies, even the most international news about on-going
elementary things that should have incidents of xenophobia and violence
been done have not been done. in South Africa, it would be
reasonable to expect that the police
would feign an investigation for every

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
attacks occurred to foreign national in xenophobic sentiment. Denialism will
South Africa. But even this seems to be the order of the day.
be unnecessary. A month on from the
assault, no police officer has yet It is important to remember that the
recorded Ebalo's testimony. The large majority of those who reject or
police did record a First Information dislike foreigners in South Africa
Report about the incident, which are anti-black immigrant and
listed a number suspected persons as Afrophobic. White foreigners and
accused. Despite this, to date no immigrants don’t experience
charges have been brought against xenophobia in South Africa. It
any of suspected or accused persons. is reserved mainly for poor black
foreigners from the African continent.
Perhaps the most scandalous part in
the business following the attack has
been the role played by the South Ongoing Xenophobic and Afrophobic
African Refugee Action – SARA as well bigotry remains one the order of the
as Refugee Children’s Project – RCP to day in the ―Rainbow Nation‖ and is
be on the forefront of Ebalo attacks. likely to get uglier as the
electioneering heats up. We will
If, or rather when xenophobic violence continue to hear the politicians put
explodes and immigrants are beaten, the blame on foreign migrants,
displaced, tortured, killed and/or asylum seekers and refugees for
burned alive, while their property and many of the social ills and hardships
possessions are looted—as has experienced by the majority of South
happened many times in the past— Africans. After more than 25 years of
the politicians will say this has democracy rule, 0ne would expect
nothing to do with xenophobia. It’s better of the country’s political
just criminality. The politicians will leadership under African National
take no responsibility for fueling Congress (ANC), but South Africa isn’t
there yet.

No other strategies
must be always attacked so they will
Today, not only Mr Ebalo and his eventually give up and leave the
family but also all foreign nationals in country without being pushed out by
South Africa who have rallied to his authorities. When foreigners refuse to
side face real danger. One reason that give up, their system is bereft of
the danger has spread is that the alternative strategies. Its personnel
system has no strategies to deal with know only to escalate and widen the
the presence of foreigners in in South violence.
Africa. The system's methods are
premised on the idea that the foreign

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
More of foreign nationals are in another society may be filed with
subjected to harassment and also many disparate voices. It attracts the
possibly to further violence and notice of many people, including
killings. In a country where those who do not want to hear such a
xenophobic violence, attacks, killing, voice, and will go to lengths to silence
also police brutality and corruptions it again by attacking violently the
are commonplace, we can also victims because they know no arrest
assume that the persons responsible will be made for committing such
for these violence attacks to foreign criminality acts against foreigners in
nationals are prepared to make good their country.
upon them. For these reasons, the
solidarity of the international In this sense, the on-going violence
community is vital for making more and attacks on Ebalo and his family
pressure on South African must be understood not as an attack
government to end such attacks and upon an individual but as an attack
killings of foreign national on a daily upon foreign nationals to leave the
basis. country. Its objective is to attack and
kill many by attacking and kill one.
But it is also vital that this solidarity The attackers know full well that if
be informed by an understanding that one can be attacked and killed, others
the violence ultimately is rooted in also will fear and may be subjected to
centuries of apartheid oppression, leave the country. In response to such
and in the struggle, oftentimes an attack, the duty of all other
seemingly small, to break open the persons who identify themselves as
silences which enable oppressive foreign nationals in South Africa will
structures. In a society where most continue to live in fear and respect
people are inert or disinterested in the their masters who are South Africans
plight of the victim of xenophobic in the streets, hospitals, schools,
attacks, when the voices of civil supermarkets, shops and etc. by
society organisations are heard, they obeying them.
echoes through the empty space that
Instigators and perpetrators of
xenophobic violence are well known
in their respective communities, but
the de facto impunity they enjoy
only means that they are likely - as
they have in many cases - to strike
again. Jean Pierre Misago – A researcher with the African
Centre for Migration and Society at the University of the
Witwatersrand, South Africa

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
About The Publisher and Supporters
South African Refugee Action – SARA
The South African Refugee Action (SARA) is an independent charity
organisation working with refugees to build new lives in SA. The SARA is a call
to action to all South Africans to warmly welcome and respect refugees and
asylum seekers in SA. We achieve that by providing practical paralegal
assistance and support to newly arrived asylum seekers and long‐term
commitment to their integration through community development work. As one
of the country’s leading agencies in the field, SARA has more years of
experience in pioneering innovative work in partnership with both South
Africans and refugees. SARA exists to enable refugees to build new lives,
through paralegal assistance, advice and information, community development,
enhancing opportunity, and advocate for refugee rights through the provision
of paralegal assistance, counselling, conducting education and training on
refugee issues, information research and concrete advocacy intervention with
the view to create a South African society in which refugees are welcome,
respected and safe, and in which refugees and asylum seekers are able to
achieve their full potential.

More about the South African Refugee Action – SARA

WITH THE SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWINGS ORGANISATIONS

Durban Refugee Centre – DRC

Durban Refugee Centre (DRC) is a non-profit organisation which was
established and run by a group of refugees and asylum seekers. It was formed
to address challenges and difficulties that refugees and asylum seekers face in
Durban when trying to integrate themselves into local community. DRC works
to assist refugees and asylum seekers in various ways in their integration path,
and act as a bridge between newcomers, communities and mainstream society.

More about Durban Refugee Centre

Refugee Children’s Project – RCP

The Refugee Children’s Project (RCP) is an advocacy and relief organisation
with more than 14 years of experience in working with refugee children by
supporting, protecting and promoting their social justice, human rights and
their access to basic resources and services for vulnerable refugee women and
children. Its specific focus on children and their primary caregivers
distinguishes RCP from other organisations assisting, protecting and
advocating on behalf of refugees and migrants. RCP is independent of
government and international institutions, and therefore offers an unbiased
and impartial voice in advocating for its beneficiaries’ human rights, dignity
and access to resources and services

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
More about the Refugee Children’s Project

Mwangaza Online News – DR Congo

Mwangaza mot swahili qui signifie Lumière en Français, créé le 22 Février 2010
a l’initiative de Concern Eastern Congo. Mwangaza Online News a pour objectif
majeur de contribuer à dénoncer les dysfonctionnements au sommet de l'Etat
congolais et la mauvais gouvernance en vue de contribution a un état de droit
en RDC. Mwangaza travaille en faveur de la promotion de la défense des droits
et libertés, accès à l’information, promouvoir la démocratie en RD Congo et
assurer une visibilité accrue des réalités congolaises par la publication des
journaux en ligne.

More about Mwangaza Online News

Ikusasa Lezingane zase Afrika – ILA

Ikusasa Lezingane zase Africa (ILA) is a fully-registered Non-Profit Organisation
(NPO) and Public Organisation Benefit, provides relief services to some of the
African children most under-resourced rural communities through a multi-
faceted approach to the consequences of extreme poverty. Majority of our
interventions aims to benefit in child’s education, orphan and vulnerable
children (OVC) as a consequence of HIV/AIDS, child protection and abuse,
youth development and street children. In the process of carrying out these
activities it has also gained immense grassroots experiences concerning the
real life situation of the most vulnerable rural poor children in Africa.

More about Ikusasa Lezingane Zase Afrika - ILA

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News24:  In South Africa, immigration feeds corrupt
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ws/refugees-must-live-in-refugee-camps- https://www.reuters.com/investigates/s
lekota-20180711 pecial-report/safrica-migrants-
 TIMES LIVE - You are fuelling xenophobia‚ corruption/
SAHRC warns deputy police minister:  M&G - Xenophobia and party politics in
https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2017- South Africa:
07-17-you-are-fuelling-xenophobia-sahrc- https://mg.co.za/article/2019-09-03-
warns-deputy-police-minister/ 00-xenophobia-and-party-politics-in-
 Lindeque, M. (2017) DEPUTY POLICE MIN south-africa/
ACCUSES FOREIGN NATIONALS IN  VOA - After a Week of Xenophobic Attacks,
HILLBROW OF ECONOMIC SABOTAGE. South Africa Grapples for Answers:
Johannesburg. Eye Witness News: https://www.voanews.com/africa/after-
https://ewn.co.za/2017/07/14/deputy- week-xenophobic-attacks-south-africa-
police-minister-accuses-hillbrow-foreign- grapples-answers
nationals-of-economic-sabotage  THE Guardian - 'We are a target': wave of
 Pather, R. (2016). Herman Mashaba xenophobic attacks sweeps Johannesburg:
defends his comments stating “illegal” https://www.theguardian.com/world/2
019/sep/10/we-are-a-target-wave-of-
immigrants are criminals. Johannesburg.
xenophobic-attacks-sweeps-
The Mail & Guardian:
johannesburg
https://mg.co.za/article/2016-12-07-
 Rights2Know:
herman-mashaba-defends-his-comments-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right2Know
that-illegal-immigrants-are-criminals/  Rights2Know:
 Unproven that Hillbrow, nearby areas are https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Johann
‘80% foreign national’ as claimed in much-
esburg_riots#cite_note-34
shared video (2019):
 Right2Know blames Mashaba, Ramaphosa,
https://www.polity.org.za/article/unproven Zwelithini for attacks on foreigners:
-that-hillbrow-nearby-areas-are-80-foreign-
https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/right2k
national-as-claimed-in-much-shared-video-
now-blames-mashaba-ramaphosa-
2019-09-04 zwelithini-for-attacks-on-foreigners-
 Jean Pierre Misago – A researcher with the 31739481
African Centre for Migration and Society at
 2019 Johannesburg riots:
the University of the Witwatersrand, South
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Johann
Africa: http://www.migration.org.za/jean- esburg_riots#cite_note-36
pierre-misago/  South African president calls for arrest of
 Burke, J. (2019) Migrants in South Africa’s
those involved in xenophobic attacks:
commercial capital face looting, violence
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/03/africa/
and sometimes even death. Johannesburg:

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA
 south-africa-condemns-attack-on- after apartheid? The Guardian.
foreigners-intl/index.html https://www.theguardian.com/comme
 Clottey, P. (2019). VOA’s interview with ntisfree/2017/mar/10/south-africa-
Godrich Gardee, the general secretary EFF. anti-black-violence-afrophobic
Johannesburg, VOA:
 Heleta, S. (2018). High fences and
https://www.voanews.com/listen/daybreak
-africa unworthy foreigners: Anti-poor
 Mbeki's xenophobia denialism flies in immigration plans and rhetoric in SA.
face of evidence (2019), The Mail & Guardian.
https://www.iol.co.za/news/opinion/m https://mg.co.za/article/2018-03-22-
bekis-xenophobia-denialism-flies-in- high-fences-and-unworthy-foreigners-
face-of-evidence-8874406
anti-poor-immigration-plans-and-
 Chigumadzi, P. (2017). Why is South
Africa still so anti-black, so many years rhetoric-in-sa/

South Africa a Calvary State for Foreigners by the South African Refugee Action - SARA