The violence is often triggered by local disputes, with migrants being accused of taking jobs away from South Africans. And more widely, the country has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Get in touch. Read more from Reality Check. Follow us on Twitter. Xenophobic attacks spark SA response. Image source, Getty Images. Foreign workers in South Africa have been targeted.
Attacks against foreigners. Violent attacks peaked in and again in Xenophobic attacks spark South African response. For instance, between January and December , the Department of Home Affairs deported close to , people majority of them from neighboring Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Lesotho. Yet growth has been undermined by structural impediments including corruption , weak investment levels, and shortage of high-end skills. Some economists also expect the economy to slow in the third quarter, even as president Cyril Ramaphosa faces mounting pressure to reverse the state of the ailing economy and improve competitiveness.
Many locals blame immigrants for taking their jobs and driving unemployment levels. Some Poor education levels and weak labor policies have been blamed for the low growth in jobs, while some have pointed to the need to upskill workers in the face of growing technological innovation.
Critical to note here is that while South Africans have access to social safety nets and basic services, most foreigners have to fend for themselves without any support. The country for sure has a serious crime problem with over 21, people killed in the year that ended on March Besides murder rates, sexual offenses, assault, and robberies have all been rising amidst growing concern about violence against women. South Africa continues to have one of the highest inequality rates in the world.
Sign up to the Quartz Africa Weekly Brief here for news and analysis on African business, tech and innovation in your inbox. In , hundreds of Nigerian nationals were evacuated from South Africa after their homes and businesses were looted or destroyed by rioters.
This nearly strained relations between the two power giants in the continent. The South African government has often condemned the attacks on foreigners but at times police is accused of late response to incidents. Ramaphosa said his government cannot allow attacks on foreign-owned businesses to continue happening in the country.
The former anti-apartheid activist whose ruling African National Congress party gained support from various African countries in their fight against apartheid immediately dispatched envoys across the continent to apologize.
The South African government has often warned those planning xenophobic attacks of harsh punishments. The majority of these refugees and asylum seekers are from war-torn countries such as Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Eritrea among others. They often work in the informal trade sector, operating mostly from rural areas, which make them a target of xenophobic attacks. Migrant and rights groups in South Africa will use World Refugee Day to reflect on the plight of those forced to flee their homes under threat of persecution, conflict and violence.
Life Refugees in South Africa still live in fear of xenophobic attacks South Africa says it will take tough action against those who incite violence against foreigners Hassan Isilow
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