Original Research

Xenophobic attacks on foreign shop owners and street vendors in Louis Trichardt Central Business District, Limpopo Province

Kholofelo Mothibi, Cornelis Roelofse, Thompho Tshivhase
The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa | Vol 11, No 4 | a51 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/td.v11i4.51 | © 2015 Kholofelo Mothibi, Cornelis Roelofse, Thompho Tshivhase | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 24 February 2016 | Published: 31 December 2015

About the author(s)

Kholofelo Mothibi, Department of Criminology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
Cornelis Roelofse, Department of Criminology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa
Thompho Tshivhase, Department of Criminology, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa

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Abstract

Xenophobic attacks in South Africa in 2008 and 2015 sent shockwaves through the country and the world. In these events, around 70 people were killed while thousands were displaced; and, property and products of street vendors and shop owners were destroyed. This phenomenological research project is confined to Louis Trichardt in Limpopo Province wherefrom a cohort of foreign street vendors and shop owners were interviewed. The lived experiences of being verbally and physically abused as well as of some acquaintances being killed, has clearly left them traumatised and living in fear. The article finds that contributory factors to xenophobic attacks experienced by foreign shop owners and street vendors range from competition over scarce resources, stereotypes and inter-group anxiety. Finally, it offers some recommendations about education for South Africans and measured police action.

Keywords

xenophobia; immigrants; street vendors; violence; South Africa

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