Migrant communities, identity, and belonging : exploring the views of South Asian migrants in Fordsburg, South Africa

Abstract

Abstract: In May 2016 the murder of Masonga Kitanda Olivier, a 23- year-old Congolese French teacher in New Delhi, India turned the lens on racism and discrimination on African nationals living in India. In the week after Olivier’s death, two further incidents against foreign nationals were reported. In Hyderabad, a Nigerian male was beaten up and hospitalised and in the south Delhi area, three separate attacks on nine African nationals, including four women and a boy took place. These attacks are not new and such incidents have been reported since 2013. While these attacks have been reported, many such incidents go unreported and daily incidents of racism continue unabated. The attacks against African nationals highlight incidents of discrimination experienced by African students and workers on the Indian sub-continent. Govindarajan (2016) argues that the government seems unwilling to acknowledge that xenophobia might be rife within its communities; instead it seeks to implement short term measures as opposed to long-term