Op-Ed: Twenty-five years of democracy (Part 5): Xenophobia repudiates foundational values of democratic South Africa By Raymond Suttner RaymondSuttner
Feminists have long argued that how we name relationships, historically or in the present, is a very important feature of power relations. Those who are powerful, who dominate or who have conquered others, generally claim the right to name the meaning of what has happened. They tend to erase or devalue the experiences of those who have undergone loss or have been harmed in numerous ways.
When xenophobic discourse and incitement is at work the person doing it usually denies its xenophobic character. It is important to name xenophobia for what it is and not misname it as the pursuit of criminals and those without papers or disguise it in any other way. Why is this so important? What follows is by no means exhaustive:, those who have fled from their own countries often with few resources, just seeking a place of rest and peace.
State actions in relation to foreign nationals have often helped create an inhospitable or hostile environment. While often prefacing xenophobic remarks with a statement like “I am not xenophobic” or “this is not xenophobic”, state officials have, throughout the history of post-apartheid South Africa played a fundamental role in preparing the ground for xenophobic hostility and attacks.
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