Abstract:
This article interprets narratives that have dominated the public sphere in
post-apartheid South Africa, following the influx of African migrants. It uses qualitative
data from personal interviews with local South Africans, excerpts from familiar
political speeches and print media articles to tease out how the construction and
intersection of public messages about foreigners and xenophobia have contributed
to the recurrent attacks of African migrants. The article argues that although postapartheid
South Africa has become a prime migration destination, the country’s
economic and psychosocial challenges have influenced the way citizens frame narratives
about African migrants from other parts of the continent. These narratives
are often fraught with images and metaphors that demonise and attempt to justify
violence against African migrants. The article attempts to examine how the framing
of such narratives provides a discursive space for understanding South Africans’
perceptions about African migrants and the multiple perspectives of xenophobia in
post-apartheid South Africa.
