James Oatway
In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe’s brutal regime forced thousands to leave Zimbabwe. Every month hundreds risk their lives to cross illegally into South Africa. There may be over a million Zimbabweans living in South Africa… most of them illegal.
In the South Africa media the violence is described as xenophobia, or the fear of foreigners. But there seem to be many factors that fueled the mobs violence, not the least of which is economics. Much of the violence was directed at Somalis, some of who had shops in the townships and were notorious for underselling the local merchants. Unemployment in South Africa is also at 40%, a staggering figure, and certainly contributed to the anger, especially as many of the migrants were perceived to be willing to work harder, and for less, than native South Africans.
