How Social categorization, Formal and Informal, Lead to Prejudices, Discrimination, and Xenophobia – The South African Experience.

I have read the reactions to the acrimonious xenophobic attacks in South Africa with great interest. My interest might be born from the fact that I was one of those who exploited this beautiful nation after the 1994 general elections that brought majority rule. In fact, I was the first person to introduce public telecommunication services, through the Vodacom Community telephones franchise project to Makgobistad, Disaneng, and Kabe villages in the Mafikeng local government area of the North West province of the Republic of South Africa. The ethnocentric tendency of some South Africans, especially Zulu extremists is not a depiction of the nice, loving and welcoming South Africa I know.

The recent spate of xenophobic attacks originated from the province of Kwazulu Natal, with flash points around Gauteng. These two provinces are highly inhabited by the Zulus, and a small but boisterous and intolerant Zulu extremist group is behind the spate of xenophobia. This group is also behind most of the political lynching and unrest in the country. The violent and blood seeking nature of these tribesmen can be traced back to the violent leadership of Shaka Zulu who is credited with defeating most if not all other tribes in the area such as eLangeni, Ndwandwe, and the Quabes among others to create the contemporary Zulu nation.

But are these Zulu bigots alone? Every country has her own prejudicial bigots, and if left unchecked can cause situations similar to the one going on in South Africa. In Cameroon, French speaking Cameroonians who call their English speaking counterparts 'Biafrans,' and English-speakers who call French speakers 'frogs' are committing the same crime. The xenophobic attacks in South Africa started with stereotyping such as 'makwerekwere.'

Social identity theory teaches us that individuals and the in-groups seek to enhance their own self-esteem by degrading other individuals and/or the out-groups. They see the other as inferior, hence, prejudice and discrimination follows. We seemed to be tolerant of others when our in-group identity is secure, but become negative towards other groups if our group identity is threatened.

The minority white regime planted the seed of xenophobia and hatred which exist in South Africa today. Many South Africans were brainwashed into believing that South Africa is not part of Africa. Moreover, the 'homeland' policy of the apartheid regime created independent black puppet states to divide and rule the country. The Republic of Transkei was formed in 1976, Republic of Bophuthatswana in 1978, Republic of Venda in 1979, and the Republic of Ciskei in 1981. Each of these homelands had its own passport, national identity and a president or leader. Furthermore, self-governing bodies like Kwazulu, Kangwane, Qua-Qua, Ganzankulu, and KwaNdebele were created and their leaders answerable to Pretoria.

Since the end of apartheid, many South Africans still live in a sea of poverty. Poverty and the lack of upward mobility have caused many South Africans who perceived their poverty to be everlasting, to be driven by hostile whims rather than rational quest of their wellbeing. Many questions have been raced if Majority Rule without economic emancipation is fair justice or freedom at all? The whites still owns over 80 percent of arable land, most of the natural resource companies, most of the top corporate positions etc. Even the South African Reserve Bank is owned by 680 shareholders mostly whites.

One should have expected Dr. Nelson Mandela and his team to pursue socialist policies, or at the very least, welfare capitalism to arrest the many social problems inherited to the apartheid regime. Instead, the African national Congress (ANC), embarked on rapid privatization, leaving most of the resources at the hands of minority white capitalists.

These wanton western-driven policies in which the government is made to believe that wealth can only be created by relaxing labor standards, loosening environmental protection, and altering patterns of government fiscal policies to attract multinational corporations are partly to blame for the continuing social anarchy in South Africa. Levels of capital taxation is decrease, leading to decrease government spending, and shifting of the burden of taxation from capital to labor.

Violence in South is fuelled by economic crisis, illicit drugs, alcohol abuse, and large scale illiteracy. The siege mentality created by apartheid still affects segments in the society. Xenophobia is just one way in which the lowest of the low in South African society, living in a sea of poverty and its deprivations can vent their anger. Black Africans are a soft target, as the government handles public disorder with heavy hands.  The inflow of millions of African migrants into a new South Africa which is faced by surmounting social issues, make these immigrants a target for retribution. To the extent that the killers of Reggae artist Lucky Dube said in court, they thought he was a Nigerian, black immigrants will still remain possible punching bags by criminals and overzealous tribal bigots, mostly Zulus.

Augustine Agbor Enow

 

The outcome of my life is not more than three lines:
I was a raw material
I became mature and cooked
And I was burned into nothingness.
Rumi