| dc.description.abstract | In South Africa, attacks mainly directed at black non-South Africans, is a rampant, longstanding
phenomenon notwithstanding the spirit of Ubuntu which is thought to
permeate the social fabric. Assumptions have been made in various labels describing the
attacks, raising concerns about their appropriateness. Further, various explanations and
hypotheses have been advanced about causes of or reasons for the attacks. The root
causes of the attacks need to be properly understood for lasting solutions to be found.
The objectives of this article are: first, to analyse the appropriateness of various labels in
order to name the phenomenon South Africa is confronted with; and, secondly, to
identify the root causes of the attacks. This analysis could assist in formulating policies
and strategies to address the attacks. This article is theoretical, and it draws on in-depth
analysis of relevant literature and empirical studies in order to addresses two research
questions. First, are the attacks motivated by pure criminality, or are they manifestations
of Afro-phobia/Negrophobia, expressions of xenophobia or indicators of outright
racism? Secondly, what are the causes of or explanations for the attacks? On
nomenclature, the article rejects the criminality label as reductionist. To an extent, the
Afro-phobia/Negrophobia label has merit, but the racism tag is unsustainable.
Xenophobia emerges as the appropriate description because empirical studies point to a
significant number of South Africans holding xenophobic attitudes and having expressed
their preparedness to forcefully eject foreign nationals. The article concludes that
xenophobia is a complex phenomenon and has multiple causes, which must be properly
understood and that finding effective solutions to it requires involvement of all key
stakeholders. | en_US |
