The standard explanation for xenephobia is that many local South Africans feel that foreigners 'steal jobs' and are 'criminals'. These elements certainly explain aspects of this trend; they are however incomplete by themselves and fail to provide a comprehensive analysis of the rapid and degenerative shift in attitudes amongst South Africans, or the racially-defined target of these attitudes. This paper will look beyond these factors to locate this 'new racism' in the interplay between economics, migration, nationalism, and the unique history and transformation South Africa has experienced in the past decade.
riseofviolent
Nahla Valji
Nahla Valji is a former CSVR Senior Project Manager for the African Transitional justice program. She currently holds the position of Senior Gender Advisor to the Executive Office of Secretary general for the UN. She holds a MA/ Joint Diploma International Relations / Diploma Forced Migration Studies from the York University, BA Political Science from Keele University and BA Political Science/ International Relations
The University of British Columbia.
