Migration and Politics in South Africa
In 1994, a ‘new’ South Africa was born out of electoral democracy. While democratisation dismantled minority authoritarian rule as well as legalised racial intolerance, prejudicial and discriminatory practices remained, this time directed against foreigners. This is at variance with South Africa’s c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Western Cape
2022-04-01
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| Series: | African Human Mobility Review |
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| Online Access: | https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/1071 |
| _version_ | 1818468510148329472 |
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| author | Johannes Machinya |
| author_facet | Johannes Machinya |
| author_sort | Johannes Machinya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In 1994, a ‘new’ South Africa was born out of electoral democracy. While democratisation dismantled minority authoritarian rule as well as legalised racial intolerance, prejudicial and discriminatory practices remained, this time directed against foreigners. This is at variance with South Africa’s commitment to principles of liberal democracy, human rights, and regional integration. What then explains this paradox? This paper underscores that what feeds and bestows social legitimacy to xenophobia is the foregrounding of an anti-immigrant populist discourse in the mainstream political discourse with participation of political leaders from across the political spectrum. But how has a morally repugnant anti-immigrant populist practice been made a sensible and justifiable political narrative? The paper analyses the mediated populist performances of selected political leaders like press statements, public speeches, interviews, or other statements posted on social media platforms like Twitter, and how these leaders scapegoat foreigners for the challenges the country is facing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:13:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52f38a74097a47ee92f3b5a3c50f9677 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2411-6955 2410-7972 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:13:15Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | University of the Western Cape |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Human Mobility Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-52f38a74097a47ee92f3b5a3c50f96772022-12-22T02:29:46ZengUniversity of the Western CapeAfrican Human Mobility Review2411-69552410-79722022-04-0181597810.14426/ahmr.v8i1.10711071Migration and Politics in South AfricaJohannes Machinya0Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of the WitwatersrandIn 1994, a ‘new’ South Africa was born out of electoral democracy. While democratisation dismantled minority authoritarian rule as well as legalised racial intolerance, prejudicial and discriminatory practices remained, this time directed against foreigners. This is at variance with South Africa’s commitment to principles of liberal democracy, human rights, and regional integration. What then explains this paradox? This paper underscores that what feeds and bestows social legitimacy to xenophobia is the foregrounding of an anti-immigrant populist discourse in the mainstream political discourse with participation of political leaders from across the political spectrum. But how has a morally repugnant anti-immigrant populist practice been made a sensible and justifiable political narrative? The paper analyses the mediated populist performances of selected political leaders like press statements, public speeches, interviews, or other statements posted on social media platforms like Twitter, and how these leaders scapegoat foreigners for the challenges the country is facing.https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/1071xenophobiaanti-immigrant populismsouth africamigration |
| spellingShingle | Johannes Machinya Migration and Politics in South Africa African Human Mobility Review xenophobia anti-immigrant populism south africa migration |
| title | Migration and Politics in South Africa |
| title_full | Migration and Politics in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Migration and Politics in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migration and Politics in South Africa |
| title_short | Migration and Politics in South Africa |
| title_sort | migration and politics in south africa |
| topic | xenophobia anti-immigrant populism south africa migration |
| url | https://epubs.ac.za/index.php/ahmr/article/view/1071 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johannesmachinya migrationandpoliticsinsouthafrica |