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THE recent xenophobic attacks, which started in Soweto and have now spread to other parts of the country are denting South Africa image abroad

The manner in which the youth went on the rampage and attacked foreign shop owners, ostensibly in response to the death of a teenager suggests that there may be dormant xenophobic attitudes that are being harboured by these young people.

One gets the sense that these youths had been long waiting for this moment to arrive so they could unleash their hatred and anger. I suspect that the Soweto situation is a microcosm of how many black South Africans feel, although they don’t always express these attitudes violently.

It is absurd to hear politicians deny the prevalence of xenophobia and only attributing these actions to sheer criminality. Indeed, criminality may play a role in these attacks but it is primarily driven by xenophobia. Politicians and leaders must stop denying the existence of this malady and tackle it head on. Emmanuel Matsebatlela

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