Xenophobia for foreign nationals living in South Africa isn't always as obvious as attacks and violent threats. There is an institutionalised prejudice against African nationals that makes their daily lives a struggle. This is over and above the constant threat of a resurgence of the 2008 backlash against refugees and foreign nationals, that shocked the world.
The Mail & Guardian, in conjunction with Oxfam, is doing a series of interviews with various African communities living in South Africa about their experiences. See our videos below and read the written articles.
S'tha Ngwenya is a lawyer who fled Zimbabwe for both political and economic reasons. Experiencing xenophobia here in South Africa he says "I feel stateless -- I don't know where to go." Given our strong democratic constitution, Ngwenya thought people would be more accepting of foreigners in South Africa.
Veteran trade unionist Dosso Ndessomin fled persecution in Côte d'Ivoire, arriving in SA in 1994. He sees the value of integrating with local communities, ever since making friends with South Africans while running a computer training centre in Soweto.
Secretary of the Coordinating Body for Refugees (CBRC) Jacques Kikonga Kamanda has been living in South Africa as a Congolese refugee for the past 12 years. He believes South Africa is a beacon of hope to Africa and the failure to curb xenophobia is a tragedy for the continent as a whole.
Somali refugee Sulega Dahir, feels there is no future for her children in this country. Sulega has lived here for 15 years and raised her children single-handedly, struggling to scrape together school fees and money for rent.
Somali refugee Ebrahim Mohamed Ali has been living in South Africa for fifteen years. Having lost his brother in the 2008 xenophobic attacks and having his panel beating workshop destroyed, he speaks to us about life now in South Africa and his fears that the rumours of renewed xenophobic violence will come true after the World Cup.
22-year-old sports reporter Sowda is a refugee from the war in Somalia, and lives in Mayfair, Johannesburg, having fled her country after threats from extremists who believe women should not be journalists. She shares her concerns about the possibility of renewed xenophobia attacks after the World Cup.
Oxfam's Nicole Johnston has produced a series of profiles, featuring foreign nationals facing the daily reality of xenophobia.
For many people in South Africa the end of the World Cup will mean more than packing away their makarapas and vuvuzelas, and returning to the old routine. While the nation may have rallied behind Ghana as "Africa's hope", a different group of people fear that come July 12 that solidarity may have withered away, writes Nicole Johnston. Read more...
