Africa/South Africa – Social inequality and “hate speech” at the root of xenophobic violence
JOHANNESBURG (Agenzia Fides) – Inequality, lack of services, unscrupulous politicians: this has come together explosively to cause xenophobic violence in South Africa. It is a phenomenon of xenophobia against immigrants, with periodic attacks destroying homes, shops and small workshops, and killing dozens of people. “After the attacks in early September that left dozens dead, Pablo Velasquez, a Scalabrian religious based on the outskirts of Johannesburg, explains to Fidesz that although calm has returned to the city, there is still a lot of fear. “They spent some time in irregular refugee camps inhabited by Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, Somalis, Ethiopians, Nigerians, Ghanaians and Congolese. They don't believe in leaving the area to go to the city to sell their goods. They fear being abused or beaten.'' Their things may be destroyed. ”
But where does this hatred for foreigners come from? There is no single reason, but a series of reasons. “Twenty years of democracy has not solved the country's problems, Father Pablo continues. The gap between the rich (mostly white) and the poor remains wide. Unemployment is very high (officially “Probably higher, ed.'' Many rural areas lack basic services such as water, electricity, telephone lines, gas, roads, and schools. The housing issue is very serious. All of this is causing strong tensions.”
Many South Africans migrate from rural areas to urban townships (slums). Here they meet other immigrants who are also poor. Father Pablo points out that many black South Africans still live with a sense of inferiority imposed on them by decades of white Boer racial apartheid. Many South Africans see the newcomers as a new enemy to fight, as it could deprive them of their meager resources. In this way, violent pogroms are triggered, destroying the activities of migrants and, in some cases, destroying their activities. , kill the aliens. ”
The priest explains: “Some politicians incite hatred and incite violence. For example, I think of Jules Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters. It's a far-left group that accused immigrants of all sorts of wrongs and then went on to say some harsh words: “It's against white people. Hatred is distilled, it permeates society, it ignites the spirit. The Catholic Church is a minority in the country. are speaking out against these acts of xenophobia. Archbishop Buti Tlagare of Johannesburg has likened xenophobia to Nazism, and he's right. If we don't stop these acts immediately, We will face unprecedented violence” (ES) (Agenzia Fides, December 10, 2019)
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