An anti-xenophobia protest in Johannesburg yesterday. Photo: Christo Doherty.
Forty-two people have been killed since the outbreak of violent clashes between native South Africans and Zimbabwean refugees in Johannesburg.
The violence began at the beginning of last week when mobs of South African youths started attacking foreign migrants, many of whom are Zimbabweans who have fled their country because of a brutal crackdown following elections at the end of March. The aggression towards the refugees is thought to be a reaction to rising food prices and high unemployment rates among the poor working classes, who blame Zimbabweans for taking their jobs. Since the beginning of the chaos, 42 people have been killed, 400 arrested and 16,000 displaced. Yesterday, President Thabo Mbeki called on troops to halt the attacks.
Daniel Molokele is a Zimbabwean living in South Africa. He works as a human rights lawyer in Johannesburg.
2008 has been a bad year; more crime, increased trouble with the government, food prices... things are getting more uncertain. This was always coming; it was just a matter of time. It's about survival - these people are desperate. It's noticeable that there are more Zimbabweans on the street now. This stuff won't stop them coming over the border - it's still so bad in Zimbabwe. We need UN help. I'd be tempted to say send the army in but I think they'll be too harsh."
Ndumiso Ngcobo is a South African school teacher from Johannesburg.
This is not specific to South Africa. It's just like in Europe except that we're not used to it here. There is a lot of resentment against foreigners. This is a very closed society - since 1994 there hasn't been such an influx of people. But I don't understand how it's got as far as murder! These people cannot reach the ones they're really angry at - the government."
is a Zimbabwean living in Cape Town. We found this on his blog (http://zimstallion.blogspot.com/):
Q: Why have so many Zimbabweans desperately flooded into South Africa?
A: Because there is a sh**head President in Zimbabwe who beats the living daylights out of them for no good reason.
Q: Why is there a sh**head President in Zimbabwe?
A: Because there is also a sh**head President in South Africa, who stops the rest of the world from putting a bullet through his head.
Q: Why do sh**head South African citizens take it out on poor innocent Zimbabwean refugees?
A: Because sh**head South Africans are lazy, and are used to having things handed to them on a plate, whereas a Zimbabwean will actually work for something. This is the reason a Zimbabwean is chosen for a job over Joe South African.
Christ, South Africa, I'll explain this as simply as possible so that you get it into your thick skulls: Get your sh**head President to stop shielding the sh**head Zimbabwean President, and we will ALL f**k off back home in a split-second. Then you can have your shitty jobs and shitty country back. Because if we had a choice, we wouldn't be here."
Posted by ZimStallion May 19.
Photos: Christo Doherty on Flickr.
Staff and students at Witwatersrand University on Jan Smut Avenue, Johannesburg, demonstrated against the xenophobic attacks yesterday (21 May 08). Christo Doherty, a professor at the university, took part.