Killing in the Name of “Stolen” Jobs: The April 2015 Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa

This chapter seeks to examine the way the government responded to the 2015 attacks while trying to interrogate the culture of xenophobia in South Africa and the validity of claims against foreigners. This case ultimately reveals the complex nature of South African society and the dynamics of the relationship between South Africans as hosts, and foreigners who live in their midst, particularly those foreigners from north of the River Limpopo. The chapter examines how the ruling African National Congress (ANC) government respond to discussed crisis. Given that the image of a burning African immigrant still haunts the collective consciousness of many South Africans and makes xenophobia a matter of critical concern, it is clear that what happened should have been on or near the top of the list of possible crisis events for the government.