ABSTRACT

Classification of African migrants in South Africa as undesirable, economic parasites, illegals, among other derogatory terms, characterises current xenophobic discourses and foregrounds frontiers that divide people in Africa. Xenophobia violates the philosophy of ubuntu/Vumunhu/Umunhu and the parable of the Good Samaritan which define humanity as diverse but collective. Drawing from this philosophy and parable as prisms through which xenophobic discourses can be analysed, we interrogate notions of African/ness and neighbour/liness in contemporary South Africa. African humanity is heterogeneous and existing xenophobic attitudes and practices provide sites for academic inquiry to generate deep understanding. Mhlongo’s After Tears identifies fault lines which need to be sutured vis-à-vis the current fear and hatred of strangers. The varied forms of xenophobia reflect nuanced but interconnected dynamics, such as historical legacies and socio-economic divisions that mask differences, which feed into makwerekwere metadiscourse. African immigrants become imagined as real sources of problems in South Africa today.

摘要

将南非的非洲移民归类为不受欢迎的、经济寄生虫、非法移民以及其他贬义词，是当前仇外言论和分裂非洲人民的前景边界的特征。仇外心理违反了ubuntu/Vumunhu/Umunhu的哲学和好撒玛利亚人的寓言，这些寓言将人类定义为多样化但集体的。从这种哲学和寓言作为可以分析仇外话语的棱镜，我们审视当代南非的非洲/性和邻里/性的概念。非洲人类是异质的，现有的仇外态度和做法为学术探究提供了场所，以产生深刻的理解。Mhlongo 的After Tears识别需要缝合的断层线面对当前对陌生人的恐惧和仇恨。各种形式的仇外心理反映了细微但相互关联的动态，例如掩盖差异的历史遗产和社会经济分歧，这些都融入了makwerekwere元话语。非洲移民被认为是当今南非问题的真正根源。