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Types of explanations given by foreign African women for xenophobic violence : a De-Doorns case study

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In November 2009, xenophobic violence flared up in De-Doorns, a small rural town which
lies in the Breede Valley Municipality of the Western Cape where table grape production is
the main economic activity. The De-Doorns violence involved local South African residents
as perpetrators and a significant number of migrant workers mostly Zimbabweans as victims.
The central purpose of this thesis is to compare the explanations for xenophobic violence
given by female victims with explanations drawn from the research community and the mass
media covering the De-Doorns incident. The major research question is to find reasons for
this De-Doorns violence given by female victims, by the research community and by the print
media. The results point to the following motives for xenophobic violence: frustrations that
translated into xenophobic violence were driven by labour matters. South Africans believed
that Zimbabweans were accepting seasonal farm work from farmers at lower wages than
those for locals. The violence was also perceived to have been initiated by labour brokers and
by a local ANC councillor. The current investigation indicates that the potential for
xenophobia-related violence still exists in South African townships even after the widespread
outburst of xenophobic violence of 2008 since refugees and vulnerable migrants
remain visible targets. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In November 2009 het xenofobiese geweld opgevlam in De Doorns, ‘n klein landelike dorp
in die Breede Vallei munisipaliteit van die Wes Kaap waar die produksie van tafeldruiwe die
belangrikste ekonomiese aktiwiteit is. Hierdie geweldadige insident het plaaslike Suid-
Afrikaanse inwoners as aanvallers en buitelandse migrante – hoofsaaklik Zimbabweërs – as
slagoffers betrek. Die hoofdoel van die tesis is om verklarings vir dié geweld soos gegee deur
vroulike slagoffers, deur die navorsingsgemeenskap en deur die koerant-media met mekaar te
vergelyk. Die hoof vraag is om redes vir dié geweld in De Doorns soos gestel deur hierdie
drie groeperings vas te stel. Die navorsings resultate identifiseer die volgende belangrike
motiewe vir xenofobiese geweld: frustrasies omtrent arbeidsaangeleenthede wat aanleiding
gegee het tot aggressie. Suid-Afrikaners het geglo dat Zimbabweërs seisoenale
arbeidsgeleenthede van boere ontvang het teen laer lone as dié vir plaaslike inwoners.
Tweedens, is die belangrike waarneming dat die geweld bevorder is deur arbeidsagente en
deur 'n plaaslike ANC raadslid. Hierdie navorsing dui aan dat die potensiaal vir xenofobiesverwante
geweld steeds bestaan in Suid-Afrikaanse woongebiede selfs na die reeks
geweldadige insidente van 2008 as gevolg van die sigbaarheid van Afrika-migrante in hierdie
gebiede.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/71599
Date12 1900
CreatorsMukwena, Dale
ContributorsBekker, S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format89 p. : map
RightsStellenbosch University

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