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abstract
The most recognizable reasons behind the prevalence of xenophobia in South Africa is the tendency to criminalize foreigners, holding them responsible for the unprecedented rise in crime rate, and drug abuse throughout the country. Foreigners are equally blamed for the country's economic hardship, and are unjustly accused of taking jobs away from the locals thereby causing widespread unemployment. Several explanations brought forward in terms of economic crises, political transition, relative deprivation, or remnants of apartheid all contain an element of truth but are not in themselves fully sufficient. Politician's assertions coupled with the contribution of the media which reports on the rise of drug syndicates, prostitution and human trafficking, all feed and in turn feed off a widely believed perception that migrants are bad for South Africa and its economy. It seems easy enough for the media and the government to apportion the blame on immigrants for crime, unemployment and housing problems. Unfortunately however, fault-finding is not a long-term solution and, eventually, can only be detrimental for the economy, culture, society and international image of South Africa, as it engenders a sentiment of animosity among South Africans and Nigerians. The government faces a pressing need to figure out a way for citizens and foreigners to live peaceably together and to tackle the problems that xenophobes justify their actions by.
