Xenophobia, Afrophobia, or Promoting Xenophilia? Semantic Explorations of Violence and Criminality in South Africa

Scholars from studies on migration and the secular history of South Africa argue that the country has a long history of violence. Apartheid, itself a violent concept and practice, generated violence across the social structures. During this period, brutality was enforced among the weak and defenceless black South Africans. However, since 2000 South Africa has seen another surge of violence targeting fellow Africans. The attacks on foreigners were attributed to limited resources, leading to poverty, unemployment, overpopulation, and poor service delivery argued to be necessitated by black immigrants’ presence. African immigrants were also accused of crimes and drug dealings. The attacks were in the form of beatings, displacements, killings, lootings, and destruction of foreign-owned shops and homes. Although national attacks were experienced mainly in 2008, 2015, 2019, and 2021, scholars continue to grapple to name the phenomenon. Academics, politicians, victims, victors, survivors, and civil society have given contrasting names to the attacks. Using the desk research methodology, the chapter analyses the terms used to describe these acts of violence. Although xenophobia and Afrophobia have dominated scholarship, the chapter argues that these terms are a disguise for criminal acts by some black South Africans. The chapter concludes that some South Africans have moved away from their constitution, which is all-inclusive, and from being victims of apartheid to political and economic victors, contrastingly turning into criminals. Moreover, some South Africans have lost the value of Ubuntu philosophy, leading the former victims to be both the victor and the criminal in the name of fighting for rights in the country that is rightfully theirs.