The South African Police Services (SAPS) has been criticised for persistently maintaining that attacks on foreign nationals are not linked to xenophobia.
Standard police comment on threats that foreign nationals will be attacked — or when foreign nationals are killed — is to state that the incidents are not linked to xenophobia, but rather to criminal elements.
But Somali Association of South Africa (Sasa) national director Ahmed Dawlo said 12 Somali nationals had been killed since the beginning of the year and 24 since xenophobic attacks in May 2008. Somali shopkeepers were particularly at risk. He blamed xenophobia for the killings.
Dawlo cited the recent killings of two Somalis who died after being set alight in Darling, one hour from Cape Town.
“We believe the killings were directly fueled by xenophobia. In many instances Somali shopkeepers are shot and nothing is stolen from them.”
Researcher Clare Kelly, an expert in diversity and transformation at the University of Cape Town’s department of Intercultural and Diversity Studies, said it was “quite irresponsible” to say that threats directed towards foreign nationals were not xenophobic in nature.
Questioning why Somalis in particular were targeted, Kelly said xenophobia could not be ruled out as it was “one of the reasons”. Other factors, such as socio-economic factors, also played a big role.
She said the environment was still hostile to African immigrants.
Kelly said it was “not surprising” that there was still violence against foreign nationals.
“We use violence to deal with difference. People with the least power are the poorest. When there is a threat to the power then violence erupts.”
What was lacking was political will and leadership to address the problem. The same could be said for issues of gender and sexuality, she said.
South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) national commissioner Zonke Majodina said the police stance in maintaining that the attacks on foreign nationals were not xenophobic was “a defensive mechanism” as they did not want to heighten tensions.
Majodina said the threats and attacks on foreign nationals were “both xenophobic and criminal elements”.
She said it was “imperative” for leadership to condemn “the atrocities perpetrated” against foreign nationals rather than coming up with justification not related to the problem.
“Leadership in the police should grab this issue head on and not hide the problem,” said Majodina.
She added that poverty in townships, and a lack of service delivery and resources, fueled xenophobic sentiments.
Western Cape police spokesman Captain Frederick van Wyk maintained that incidents related to Somali shop-owners were not xenophobic attacks, but rather crime and robbery specific. Nor where these robberies unique to Somalis, he said.
Van Wyk said in certain instances threats were allegedly made by other shop-owners and it was related to “business jealousy and not xenophobia”.
Source: West Cape News
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