Historical and theoretical analysis of xenophobia in South Africa

Xenophobia is a ubiquitous oppression and the South African case is increasingly becoming a recurrent topic in the 21st century as the phenomenon has potentials of tearing-apart multilateral peace agreement between South Africa and other countries. The factors that trigger xenophobia have been subsumed under political, cultural and socio-economic factors with many authors outlining the importance of the struggle for resources as main driver. The fear and dislike of foreignness as xenophobia as generally construed, has been directed toward black African immigrants in South Africa since 1994. This paper interrogates various explanations for attacking particularly black African immigrants in South Africa by exploring the trends of violence through a systematic literature review that was scanned through Atlas-Ti version 8. That method of investigation will show visual representation of the phenomenon under study and also shed new light on government responses. The paper argues that South African government have not effectively prioritized xenophobia as a serious national problem. The paper employed the theories of ethnocentrism and relative deprivation to situate xenophobia. In contextualizing this problem, the research engaged in content analysis. It recommends that policy makers should make laws and ensure its implementation as well as reinforce training on immigration and refugee laws. Campaign programs are needed to educate families on the negative impacts of xenophobia on South African nation building process.