South Africa is experiencing an ugly wave of xenophobia driven by a coordinated digital campaign by anti-migrant groups.
As prejudiced rhetoric seeps into mainstream news coverage, a growing number of South African journalists are trying to figure out who’s really pulling the strings behind the movement.
Contributors:
Qaanitah Hunter – Host, The Debrief
Aimee-Noel Mbiyozo – Senior research consultant, Institute for Security Studies
Haru Mutasa – Correspondent, Al Jazeera English
Herman Wasserman – Department of Journalism, Stellenbosch University
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#southafrica #immigration #news #venezuela #aljazeeraenglish
New wave of Apethied blaming everything to justify violence on the poorest of the poor in society
what a disappointment with Aljezeera
South africans are lazy bigoted fools
The issue is economic, but every time the poor complain about economic issues, no one wants to listen. The upper middle class and rich are online making content and think pieces instead of asking how this can be fixed, instead, fear mongering is pushed because ofcourse, poor black people are seen as violent when all they want is an affordable and productive life
Don't tell us about statistics when they are UNDOCUMENTED
What pathetic reporting
There were thousands of folks at the 250 celebration. The obe clip that looked empty was because of a severe thunderstorm. Which cleared it for an hour. Then everyone returned. This news station decieves.
I have never in all my years of being in South Africa met even one honest Nigerian. Not one. Not in Joburg, Pretoria, Durban or Bangkok. Honestly. Not even one. Easy for them to complain about Xenophobia and no internal recollection of why this has happened.
There are different types of foreigners in South Africa, and the Government needs to decide if they bring anything positive or not.
In my experience, after seeing them in Pretoria, Durban and Johannesburg
1. Most Nigerians are doing drugs, crime, overtaking buildings illegally
2. Most Zimbabweans and Malawians are doing menial jobs like housework, gardeners and maybe working in restaurants. Sometime on small construction sites, painting or plastering.
They work hard, speak good English, are polite and on time. Which is why they get the jobs.
3. Bangladeshis and Pakistanis open their own business and sell things. They sell goods for cheap and employ people and pay rent. Everyone benefits.
4. Ghanaians fit someone in there, small traders cutting hair and the like. So are the Congolese doing work, sometimes opening small businesses.
5. Chinese bring in a lot of money, open reasonable size businesses and have support from a network in China. May not always pay tax, and may exploit workers. I saw them in Lesotho and around some parts of Johannesburg. Overall, they bring in a lot of money and invest a lot, rent houses, apartments and properties and offer reasonably good services and goods. I would the overall experience is quite good.
The ones behind this kind of thing, like always have duel citizenship with israel. Look behind the curtain or under the bed.
Great news reporting. Thank you for including the facts with many references.
Propaganda much, Aljezeera?😂 this is not journalism.
Thousands of immigrants have been deported from the US to horrible prisons or random countries they have no familiarity with, children have been ripped from their parents' arms, DACA Recipients "dreamers" are being denied security in the only country they've ever known… while job prospects/pay/benefits for "citizens" haven't gotten better, food is more expensive than ever, rent is higher than ever, houses and home insurance are still horribly unaffordable, and healthcare/education/child care are more unaffordable than ever. It seems like blaming immigrants instead of millionaires/billionaires/trillionaires and corrupt corporations isn't making life any better.
Blame corruption, not immigrants.
Great episode!
While we're on this conversation, please also report on the 217 arrests made yesterday in Westonaria of which 21/217 people were South Africans. People's homes are destroyed, many have been chased from their communities, many graped and murdered by illegal miners. Your reporting has been incredibly biased over the last few weeks and you are one of the news outlets responsible for spreading misinformation. If you're going to talk about these things, PLEASE listen to South Africans too. We didn't wake up one day and decide to protest- it's been building up since before 2008
common narrative through out history…xenophobic nationalism always requires a scape goat
The CS being dominated by SAns to defend the indefensible is absurd. They are just so confused that they'll never tackle the main cause of their plight. Plus, a lot of them a so ignorant and brainwashed that they don't even see anything wrong in what they are doing. I pray they get the healing they deserve.
South Africans in the comment section having a stage 5 meltdown. Ridiculous
I used to love aljazeera but it showed me this is fake news. It started before mazwi during the Nigerian king that was summoned in another man's country get your facts straight
My question is why do people go there with all this gloomy picture of bad things
I don't understand
Trump was right✊️✊️
Haa😂 biased reporting. Deal with your propaganda but WE will deal with reality 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 Abahambe 🗣️
Interview the protesters not the Dr's and journalists living in sandton out of touch with reality in south african townships
So no Black South African was interviewed? LOL
I thought that Aljazeera was a credible and independent news media. But now I understand that they are a biased propaganda machine. Poor and incompetent reach of the issue. And blatantly biased reporting. Very disappointing. Just look at who they interviewed… two white people who are far from, and unaffected by the problem, an Indian lady, and a black lady who is not South African. Is that not biased reporting? Where are the interviews of the people who actually have lived experiences of the problem. And they have already arrived at the conclusion that these are xenophobic responses. Would an independent journalist not ask, is this really xenophobia and why is this perceived as xenophobia? Rather than a journalist passing a verdict?
South Africa is a basket case. And it's only downhill from here. Nothing in the country is improving, and without foreigners to blame, they will turn on each other..
And the comment that “the protesters think they have power, instead of the government” is just lazy journalism. South Africa is a government of the people by the people. The opening clause of the Freedom Charter states “The People shall govern”. Lazy and biased journalism. The government you are referring to is democratically elected by the people to serve the needs of the people. And if those needs are not met, and democratic channels to express dissatisfaction have been exhausted, then the people invoke their democratic right to protest. A right which is protected by the constitution of the democratic Republic. So how do you arrive at the xenophobic narrative?
I'm not surprised Aljazeera🚮 always give FALSE NARRATIVE towards anything to do with South Africa.
We use our own money to attend the protest so why push propaganda
Media production industry is the enemy of the people
You guys don't know about the pain us people from the low class face. Rich people will never understand us
Cheap labour is Morden Slavery
There is no food given to us during the protest or accomodation so where do you get information about all this
You don't interview no black South Africans but you talking about us.
Something says that the ISRAEL IS INVOLVED!
When comes to brainwashing…ISRAEL IS AN EXAMPLE!
ISRAEL VS SOUTH AFRICA
Parents could buy their kids flip phones and not allow kids to have computers in their rooms. This will greatly limit their social media exposure.
Nigerian should be banned globally
Jews I guess.
Their problem is jealousy and they are lazy they love drinking alcohol week in week out and when they see africans succeeding they start xenophobia
lies.abahambhe
South Africans are entitled to fix their country, cleanse it if it means.. You calling us xenophobic but when Trump does it you are quite like dead dogs.. Immigrants must go back and fight their own governments.. We are not father christmas of cowards who cant stand up to their own dictators.. Stop fucken calling us xenophobic.. People are suffering because of these undocumented illegals
I'm falling in love with Herman Mashaba he doesn't flip flops and he sticks to what he says consistently
Y'all don't remember what happened at kaya bombo massacre Kenya. Can we stop hate and know how we can work together to build a great nation.
Why all the protesters are black ?
This is so sad – Mandela would have been heartbroken
Kaffirs dont change but they multiply