The worsening economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, which is driving thousands of people to neighbouring South Africa, coupled with the rainbow nation’s own growing challenges of an escalating crime rate is fueling a new wave of xenophobic attacks on foreigners.

It is estimated that over three million Zimbabweans have found refugee in South Africa and thousands more continue to pour into the more economically stable neighbour in search of jobs and food.

The growing number of immigrants are in addition to the already large immigrant population in South Africa from countries such as Somalia, Ethopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Mozambique.

Inevitably this has inflamed emotions among locals who feel the foreigners especially Zimbabweans whose population swells everyday take away their jobs and are fuelling the already high crime rates as they resort to stealing and violent crimes such as armed robbery to earn a living.

The burning down of shacks belonging to the refugees and even public lynchings have become a common occurrence especially in poor neighbourhoods.

The growing problem of xenophobia is already of major concern to the African Commission on People’s and Human Rights (ACPHR), which says it will soon send a fact finding mission to South Africa.

But organisations representing Zimbabwean exiles feel that if decisive action is not taken now the attacks on foreigners escaping civil strife in their own countries might spiral out control.

“It seems no one is taking heed of our advice,” said Mr Daniel Shumba of the Johannesburg based Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF).

“We have done everything in our power by alerting the African Union and the South African government but violent attacks on foreigners especially Zimbabweans and Mozambicans are worsening each passing day.”

Majority rule

Since its transition into majority rule in 1994, the new South Africa because of the historical economic imbalances has always struggled to shed off its unenviable reputation as the capital of violent crime in the world.

But human rights activists warn that it is becoming more common for frustrated locals who can not get decent jobs promised by the new dispensation to vent their anger on businesses owned by refugee Somali businesspeople in their areas.

They say there is now a new trend of xenophobic attacks that seem to be targeted at Zimbabwean and Mozambican economic refugees who are now becoming the scapegoats for the unsustainable crime rate.

Last week, violent attacks drove away hundreds of Mozambicans and Zimbabweans from an informal settlement near Pretoria, South Africa Africa’s administrative capital.

According to various South African media sources four people have died so far and several others injured in the violence that started a month ago.

Businesses and shacks belonging to the locals were looted and destroyed by locals who accused them of being behind rising crime in the neighbourhood.

“The situation is becoming dangerous that is why I have decided to bring back my wife and children,” said Mr Jonathan Zireva of Harare. Mr Zireva who claims to be a supporter of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has been operating a spaza (tuckshop) in the sprawling settlement of Soshanguve near Pretoria for the past three years after he was retrenched by a Harare based company.

“I went to South Africa after I was retrenched by the state owned Grain Marketing Board for supporting the MDC and I have no hope of ever securing a job in Zimbabwe again.

“With what we have been experiencing in the past few days it’s like jumping from a frying pan to a fire.

“We no longer feel safe in South Africa but I do not have any other choice but to go back because there is no hope for me in Zimbabwe anymore.”

In his 2007 report to the ACHPR 42nd session, the commission’s Special Rapporteur for Refugees, Assylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Immigrants, Mr Tom Nyanduga said he had already written to the Southern African government seeking permission to carry out a fact finding mission about the treatment of refugees in South Africa.

“We are concerned about the ill-treatment of asylum seekers, especially from Zimbabwe, Somalia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Mr Nyanduga said.

“I look forward to engaging the South African authorities on the matter and also to investigate other issues that have been brought to the attention of the commission.”

The Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA) has led calls for an investigation into what it calls the “xhebhobic” treatment of refugees especially Zimbabweans in South Africa and Botswana.

“Zimbabwe is near collapse of basic necessities such as food, bread, flour, petrol, paraffin, soap and medication,” HURISA said in a statement to the ACHPR.

“This has resulted in massive exodus of Zimbabwean people seeking humanitarian assistance in the neighbouring states such as Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique.”

But since Botswana and South Africa’s economies and democratic profiles are rated highest in the region they face challenges and take the bulk of the Zimbabwean migration problems, said HURISA.

It added: “However, the South Africa and Botswana governments are not handling the Zimbabwean humanitarian crisis in the spirit of “ubuntu” that is in an African brotherhood manner and solidarity. Zimbabwean people are met with hostility and xenophobic treatment.”

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