Xenophobia in South Africa is institutionalised

South African police officers casually stroll away from a crowd looting a foreigner's shop.

Let us face it. Xenophobia in South Africa is institutionalised. It may not be codified in law like apartheid was, but many South African public institutions are permeated with xenophobic sentiment.

I saw it on the front page of the Sunday Times today. All the arrests that have been made in connection with recent violence are for the deaths of South Africans. No one has been arrested for the death of a foreigner.

In Soweto two men were rescued from a mob by the police. They had already been doused in petrol, and the matches were about be lit. The police moved in very quickly rescuing them. They were South Africans. If they had been foreigners the police would probably have waited the extra minute or two needed for the flames to take hold before moving in just to be seen to be doing something.

In Durban there were reports of a Malawian being turned away from a hospital because 'there were not enough medicines for foreigners'. At some home affairs offices and border points, foreigners are made to wait inordinately long periods for service.

It is common knowledge among foreigners that if you to report a crime the police won't even bother to open a case. It happened to me once. Officials routinely refuse to speak in English and try insist that black foreigners speak one of the local vernacular languages.

Perhaps the best evidence it is institutionalised, is how xenophobic sentiments creep into the discourse and language of senior politicians. A cabinet minister Lindiwe Zulu was recently accused of making xenophobic statements. The statements that are widely believed to have sparked the latest round of violence, were made by Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini with a cabinet minister standing by his side.

South African officials have been hesitant to condemn pure thuggery and murder of foreign nationals. They seem almost at pains to offer context and justify the 'anger' of South Africans. KwaZulu-Natal premier Mchunu even accused foreigners of 'lacking respect'.

African governments have no choice but put pressure on the South African government to tackle the institutionalisation of xenophobia. Explanations will have to be asked for on why there is no progress on the investigating the killing of foreigners. Accountability will have to be demanded. Police officers will have to be disciplined including senior police officers.

As long as the cauldron of institutionalised xenophobia is not quenched cold, the problem will continue to simmer. It is a serious threat to the stability of South Africa itself, because the xenophobia is tinged with tribalism.

A friend living near Sun City in Rustenburg told me that they wanted to protest because the mines in the area were employing people from Limpopo and Eastern cape while Tswanas from the area did not have jobs. However they did not want to be seen as acting together with Zulus who they still don't like because of Third Force killings in which rogue apartheid agents armed Zulu men living in hostels to attack ANC supporters.

We do not want an unstable giant among us.

In 2008 Ernesto Alfabeto Nhamauve was torched in full view of the police and on camera. Not a single person has been tracked down and arrested.

Yesterday Emmanuel Sithole was hit with a wrench then stabbed in broad daylight. The scene was captured on camera in minute detail. They say he is a Mozambican but Sithole is a Tsonga (Shangani) surname. Recently an MP belonging to the EFF, made derogatory remarks against the Shangani in parliament. In case you didn't know there is a tribalist dimension to xenophobia as well.

The Shangani live across borders, in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Indeed Ndabaningi Sithole was a founder of what is now Zanu-PF. The same applies to the Venda whose language and culture is closer to what is now called Shona. Deeper inside South Africa members of these tribes are often attacked for being foreigners. Many South Africans are often accused of being foreigners simply for being dark in complexion. Members of these tribes are generally dark in complexion.

I won't even mention Indians. During the recent violence in Durban an Indian journalist was told to go back to India despite her being a fourth generation South African. Those mobs cannot tell the difference between a Indian and a Pakistani. Even for black people they often make the judgement based on darkness of complexion. They do not ask to see identification documents. Remember in 2008 half the people who died were South Africans accused of being foreigners.