Published April 26, 2023
The theme for this year’s South African Freedom Month is “Consolidating and Safeguarding Democratic gains” and the government has requested the public to highlight both freedoms gained as well as to reflect upon challenges that still remain. On the eve of Freedom Day, an event is organized to do so, with a particular emphasis on Migration and Xenophobia. This panel discussion, co-hosted by the European Union (EU) and The Centre for Human Rights (UP), will be held alongside a photo exhibition on Home, Identity and Belonging at Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria. The event and exhibition form part of a larger EU project titled Gateways for Peace: Strengthening South Africa and EU Partnership on Peace and Security in Africa.
Post-apartheid South Africa was a beacon of hope for people across Africa. It was a country that had a relatively peaceful negotiated transition and one that aspired to democracy and respect for human rights. South Africa articulated its own well-being as intrinsically tied to that of the continent. At the time, it had the strongest economy and the strongest military, representing a country in which human security could be provided for all. It is therefore not surprising that many from other parts of Africa wanted to come and find peace and prosperity.
South Africa’s own internal challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment, as well as a lack of service delivery, overburdened infrastructure, crime and corruption and lack of enforcement of rules and regulations, however, soon created a heightened sense of deprivation among its citizens and a reluctance to welcome Africans into their communities. Indeed, migrants and refugees became a scapegoat for the ills that were beginning to plague the society and the narratives of who belongs and who is a threat to the very livelihoods of South Africans soon surfaced. This portrayal of the ‘Other” contributed to the violent expression of anti-foreigner sentiments in 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2015. In the post-COVID period, with a rise in economic destitution, and increasing crime rates, and as we move towards an election year in 2024, there is a risk of a rise in xenophobic speak and the expedient use of nationalism and populism for political gain.
This panel discussion seeks to unpack the current narratives and hate speech in South Africa and its impact. We bring together experts who have been tracking these narratives online and through the media to gain deeper insight into the discourses fueling xenophobia in South Africa. It will be an engaging discussion bringing together representatives of government, the diplomatic community, researchers and scholars. The expected outcome is increased awareness of the messaging and spread of xenophobia as well as how to begin to counter harmful narratives and how to create counter-narratives in the spirit of Ubuntu and Pan-Africanism.
This photography exhibition is supported by the European Union, curated by Through The Lens Collective and presented by the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria.