The Role of Music in Combating Xenophobia in South Africa

Given the important role that music plays in traditional African education, this paper uses Mthandeni's song titled 'Xenophobia' as a guide in the discussion of the phenomenon of xenophobia in South Africa. The paper begins by discussing the importance of music in African societies and its role as a tool of social transformation. It then goes on to trace the colonial roots of xenophobia. Furthermore, the paper discusses literature on the manifestations of xenophobia in post-1994 South Africa. In writing the paper, the author consulted journal articles, books, government reports and news articles. The paper argues that even though the South African government has condemned the xenophobia and xenophobic violence, it has not done enough to educate the South African public on Pan-African values. Therefore, the paper recommends that the South African government must consciously and energetically educate South African citizens about Pan-African values and the fact that South Africa's destiny is intrinsically linked to the rest of the African continent.