The impact of xenophobia-Afrophobia on the informal economy in Durban CBD, South Africa

Abstract

The renewed incidents of xenophobia, which engulfed South Africa, dented this country's image, continentally and internationally. These occurrences invoke an unresolved question, thus: Can xenophobic attacks be attributed to tighter or discriminatory immigration policies or are people caught in quandary for socio-economic survival? Similarly to the pogroms in Poland against Jews, xenophobia left fatal scars, not only amongst Africans and nonAfricans, and has affected the informal economy negatively. This article explores the impact of xenophobia on the operations of the informal economy on which the poor depend for socio-economic survival. For the most part of April-May 2015, the streets of Durban were deserted because of the xenophobic attacks on non-South African businesses, particularly those owned by Africans from different parts of the continent. Fear was planted in the city of Durban, which in turn led to the decline in economic activity, both formal and informal sectors, with the later bearing the most brunt. The city was turned into a battle field whereby Afro-hatred was perpetuated with the intention of causing bodily harm and making deportation threats. Nationals from other African countries, mainly Nigerians, Somalis, Malawians, Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, Ethiopians and Congolese were accused of taking jobs meant for locals and suffocating their businesses as well as taking their women. In fear of their lives, non-South Africans were forced to close their businesses and to go into hiding. This article argues that the impact of xenophobia is a double-edged sword and has farreaching implications for both South Africans and non-South Africans as the local city dwellers depend on the services provided by informal businesses. The article uses both primary and secondary data. The empirical data was extracted mainly from the street traders and hawkers eking a living in the informal sector.

Students’ Attitudes and Perceptions on Xenophobia: A Study of a University in Durban

“…Anti-migrant sentiments and stereotypes that stem from social, political, economic and cultural misconceptions and cleavages have been commonly identified as driving forces for this kind of aggression. A number of studies have confirmed the existence of high levels of stereotypes and anti-migrant sentiments amongst the South African population, more openly displayed by the black population mainly due to their engagements with migrant populations (Crush & Pendleton, 2004;Laheer, 2009;Landau, Ramjathan-Keogh & Singh, 2005, p. 8;Tshishong, 2015). These anti-migrant sentiments are deeply rooted in social misconceptions and political/economic cleavages; identifying and understanding such sentiments is crucial for ameliorating the tensions and violence associated with xenophobia in South Africa.…”

Xenophobic violence and criminality in the KwaZulu-Natal townships

“…As a provincial manager outlined, existing material conditions at the sites of xenophobic attacks point to the reality of competition for scarce resources; the influx of foreigners because of the border situation; the situation of corruption in the Home Affairs Department; competition at all levels; the private sector's preference for foreigners who are paid less and do not join trade unions; and the lack of 'serious intelligence services'. This is incongruous with numerous authors who claim that the xenophobic violence is triggered mostly by economic competition (Goddey 2017;Wimmer 1997) and job opportunities (Nyamnjoh 2006;Tshishonga 2015). Bekker et al's (2008) conclusion that government policies on border control and diplomatic relationships with other countries have exacerbated this violence is also supported.…”

“…A regression analysis performed by Ruedin (2018) of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (HSRC 2013) displayed clear patterns indicating that people in vulnerable social and economic positions and people with less contact with foreigners are xenophobic. A study by Tshishonga (2015) exploring the impact of xenophobic attacks on the informal economy during the 2015 violence in the Durban Central Business District (CBD) revealed that the events had detrimental effects for both non-South African and local traders as those visiting the vicinity mainly depended on the services of informal businesses.…”

Dynamics informing xenophobia and leadership response in South Africa

“…McConnell (2009) puts the damage to foreign nationals owned business in 2008 at R1.5 billion. These acts resulted in political instability as municipalities and government were blamed for not doing enough to stop the violence (Bekker 2010;Fabricius 2017;Tshishonga 2015).…”