While South Africa cannot afford anti-migrant and vigilante groups such as Operation Dudula because they escalate xenophobia, there are grounds for the frustration that South Africans experience over foreign nationals, says political analyst Dr Oscar van Heerden.

The background

South Africa is known for its spates of xenophobic violence, with the most recent being the killing of Zimbabwean national Elvis Nyati in Diepsloot during an anti-crime demonstration.

“Attacking those we suspect of wrongdoing merely because they are a foreign national is not an act of patriotism. It is immoral, racist and criminal. In the end, it will lead to xenophobia, whose consequences we have lived through in previous years,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa this week.

The leader of Operation Dudula, Nhlanhla ‘Lux’ Dlamini (also known as Ntlantla ‘Lux’ Mohlauhi), is seen as a hero to some and a criminal to others. He faces criminal charges of malicious damage to property, theft and burglary relating to an Operation Dudula incident, as well as an old assault charge. However, he also actively defended the Maponya Mall in Soweto during the July uprisings.

WATCH: Izak du Plessis chats with political analyst Oscar van Heerden about why xenophobia is prevalent in South Africa and what can be done to minimise it.

The blame game

It is most unfortunate that, in this day and age, we have movements such as Operation Dudula, says Van Heerden. However, he also says that he understands why movements such as these come into existence. “It is indicative of the strife and the challenges that our people are experiencing, 28 years after democracy.

“I would have thought by now we would have a thriving economy, where most people are employed and able to provide for their families or themselves, but this is not the reality.”

According to Van Heerden, economic hardship and frustration lead to a blame game in which people point fingers at the government, the economy and foreigners.

“The reality is that the government is partly to blame for the current xenophobia crisis as they do not have a clear answer as to how to deal with the issue of foreign nationals and immigrants,” says Van Heerden.

He says the fact of the matter is that there are many illegal immigrants in South Africa and our businesses find excuses to employ foreign nationals rather than South Africans.

There is a form of racism present in the reasons why some South African business owners prefer to employ immigrants, he says. “White owners of restaurants or businesses would rather contend with black Africans from elsewhere on the continent who were not directly subjected to and subjugated by them under apartheid.

“It is easy for them to rather say: ‘Let me employ the foreign national who doesn’t come with that baggage’.

“I detest any form of xenophobia, but we cannot just dismiss these South Africans out of hand,” he cautions.