The Heat discusses xenophobia in South Africa

The Heat

In South Africa, frustrations over high unemployment and undocumented workers triggered an outbreak of anti-immigrant attacks in April. Now President Jacob Zuma is working to repair relations with other African nations.

This weekend Africa’s top leaders will gather in Johannesburg for the African Union Summit. The meeting will give South African President Jacob Zuma an opportunity to improve relations with the rest of the continent, after an outbreak of xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals left seven people dead. In April, violent mobs targeted foreigners for stealing jobs, in a country where the unemployment rate now stands at 26 percent. CCTV’s Sumitra Nydoo provided an update from Johannesburg.

The Heat discussed this issue with these experts:

  • Jean Pierre Misago. He’s a researcher at the African Center for Migration and Society with the University of Witwatersrand.
  • Dorina Bekoe is an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

25 years after the end of apartheid, poverty and joblessness remain a huge issue for South Africa. With unemployment at 26 percent, there’s been resentment and in some cases, violence against African migrant workers. The panel was joined by Sarah Motha. She’s the program manager with the Foundation for Human Rights.