When Xenophobes Turn Their Faces on Foreigners: Whom to Blame the Government or the Natives

Xenophobia and xenophobic violence in South Africa continue to result in deaths and the loss of properties owned by migrants. The government has established measures to enable migrants to exercise their rights to address this phenomenon. However, the reactions and actions advanced by the government have not addressed the root cause of these attacks. This has made xenophobia a new pathology because of its almost yearly occurrence. Moreover, scholars have expressed high interest in xenophobia and migration studies, yet the remedy for these violent attacks has remained elusive. For example, scholars have presented several factors that influence xenophobia in the country, yet migrants’ xenophobic attacks have never stopped nor been properly addressed. There have been academic conferences and seminars on the issues relating to xenophobia in the country and how to respond to them. Situating the paper on deprivation theory as a point of interrogation, the paper analyzes the state of xenophobes in South Africa using a qualitative descriptive study. Key findings suggest that both the government and natives have a role in abating xenophobia in the country. Political actors should stop using xenophobia as a political weapon for elections and establish adequate measures that protect migrant rights.