Migration, Xenophobia and New Racism in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Abstract

Post-apartheid South Africa was built on a culture of inclusiveness, tolerance and human rights, embodied in its 1996 Constitution. However, as this paper shows, South African citizens exhibit high levels of xenophobia towards fellow African citizens, subjecting them to different forms of prejudice and discrimination. The paper argues that the racialization of African migrants- the other- and xenophobic sentiment are about the politics of access; a struggle for political and socio-economic resources.