The aim of this study is to confirm whether illegal immigration to South Africa is being regarded as a threat to national security and to analyse the implications thereof. The dissertation presents three assumptions to be explored and tested, namely: <ul> <li>Illegal immigration poses a growing threat to South Africa’s national security. The latter is due to an increase in the number of illegal immigrants entering the country as well as their seemingly increasing involvement in especially violent crime.</li> <li>The South African government does not adequately acknowledge the threat potential of illegal immigration with regard to the country’s national security status and as such adequate measures are not being taken to curb the influx of illegal immigrants.</li> <li>Violent attacks on foreigners in South Africa have been seen as xenophobia, however, specific factors exist that contributed to these attacks.</li> </ul> The study is conducted and contextualised in terms of the theory of national security, more specifically as it applies to developing countries. It aims to analyse the security implications of illegal immigration for South Africa, with specific reference to the involvement of foreigners in crime in South Africa and also focus on the political implications, more especially the role of foreigners in fomenting political violence. The study accepts the notion that the phenomenon is multi-dimensional and that it cannot be divorced from its socio-economic implications. Reference is therefore made to the political, social, economic and crime dimensions. The dissertation also focuses on the official and public views on illegal immigration and analyse measures adopted by the South African government to address the issue. The study predominantly focuses on the period 1994 to 2008 in an effort to demonstrate the extent of the increase in the number of illegal immigrants to South Africa following the advent of the new dispensation. It further attempts to ascertain whether this increase could be linked to the rise in incidences of violent crime in South Africa during the period in question. AFRIKAANS : Die doel van die studie is om te bepaal of onwettige immigrasie na Suid Afrika toenemend beskou word as ‘n bedreiging vir nasionale veiligheid en, tweedens, om die implikasies daarvan te analiseer. Die studie stel drie aannames voor vir toetsing en verdere bespreking, naamlik: <ul> <li>Onwettige immigrasie bedreig Suid Afrika se nasionale veiligheid toenemend. Laasgenoemde stelling is gebaseer op die toename in die getal onwettige immigrante wat Suid Afrika binnekom, sowel as aan die betrokkenheid van onwettige immigrante in misdaad (veral geweldadige misdade) in Suid Afrika.</li> <li>Die Suid Afrikaanse regering beskou die potensiële bedreiging van onwettige immigrasie vir nasionale veiligheid nie met die nodige erns nie en gevolglik word die nodige maatrëels nie ingestel om die toenemende instroming van omwettige immigrante na Suid Afrika te bekamp nie.</li> <li>Geweld teenoor vreemdelinge in Suid Afrika word alom gesien as xenofobies van aard, alhoewel spesifieke faktore teenwoordig is wat bydra tot sulke aanvalle.</li></ul> Die studie is gebaseer op die teoretiese beginsels van nasionale veiligheid en meer spesifiek soos dit van toepassing is op ontwikkelende lande. Die studie poog om die veiligheidsimplikasies van onwettige immigrasie na Suid Afrika te analiseer, met spesifieke verwysing na die betrokkenheid van onwettige immigrante by misdaad in Suid Afrika. Daar word ook gefokus op die politieke gevolge, insluitend die opvatting dat vreemdelinge betrokke is by, of bydra tot politieke spanning in sekere gemeenskappe. Die studie aanvaar die beginsel dat onwettige immigrasie multi-dimensioneel is en dat dit onlosmaaklik verbonde is aan die sosio-ekonomiese impak daarvan. Gevolglik word verwys na die politieke, sosiale, ekonomiese en misdaad impak van onwettige immigrasie. Die studie fokus verder ook op die amptelike en nie-amptelike standpunte oor onwettige immigrasie en analiseer die maatrëels deur die Suid Afrikaanse regering ingestel ten einde die vraagstuk aan te spreek. Die studie fokus oorwegend op die periode 1994 tot 2008 ten einde die toename in die getal omwettige immigrante wat die land sedert 1994 binnegekom het, aan te dui. Verder poog die studie om vas te stel of daar ‘n verband bestaan tussen die toename in onwettige immigrante en ‘n toename in geweldadige misdaad in Suid Afrika in die periode onder bespreking. Copyright / Dissertation (MSS)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Political Sciences / unrestricted

This study investigates different ways of efficiently educating learners to become bi- or multilingual. In the introduction relevant background information concerning the definition of bilingualism is given and related issues are being discussed, such as language learning, language awareness, bilingual instruction and bilingual education models. Human beings are characterised by language, but also by social and cultural tradition. In the context of globalisation pluralism and multiculturalism are common factors affecting even previously isolated communities. Bi- and multilingualism are some of the strategies of adaptation to this reality. It can be assumed, that this development will continue rapidly as the inhabitants of the global village grow in and adapt to this realisation. In countries with a history and tradition of multilingual and bilingual education like South Africa, Canada, Luxembourg and Belgium and also in countries where immigration results in issues of multilingual and bilingual challenging society like in the USA one finds a great variety of answers to these problems posed. The situation in Germany is different, because bilingualism became an issue only fairly recently due to the actual demands brought by the European union. In South Africa the social context determines largely that people are inclined to bi- and multilingualism and the educational system tries to promote this predisposition by means of bi- or multilingual models in schools, so that the learners become efficient facing the bi- and multilingual challenges of their diverse and pluralistic society. In the USA on the other hand the need arises to provide for minority groups, so that they can retain their mother tongue (e.g. Spanish) while becoming fluent in the predominant language (i.e. American). Lastly the new development of the European Union has led Germany to actively promote bi- und multilingual education to aid the integration of Germans in the Union. The various models developed in these countries are studied in the wide variety of their different social and historical contexts. The main part of the study comprises a systematic overview of the various bilingual education models that are being implemented in different countries. These countries include the USA, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and lastly and more detailed, South Africa. A number of different circumstances surrounding bi- or multilingualism in the various countries have given rise to a large variety of models attempting to address the challenges posed by the various issues. A number of different goals have been addressed and the results have been just as varied. This leads to a concluding comparison of the western and European models with those of the South African models. Much research has been done on bi- and multilingualism and specifically bilingual education, as humans since earliest times were concerned with this subject. For my study I have relied mainly on more recent sources (1990 to the present) from the USA, Canada and Germany. However as the academic study of this issue has been going on for quite a time in some countries like South Africa, I have also referred to older books and journals (1945<). Due to the overwhelming information about this subject a drastic limitation of sources was necessary. / Dissertation (MA (German))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Modern European Languages / unrestricted