SOUTH Africans see foreign nationals as unfair competition in finding employment, according to an expert at the Institute for Security Studies, Johan Burger.
He was responding to the recent protests in which shops belonging to foreign nationals were looted in Sebokeng and the surrounding areas.
Burger warned that as long as unemployment rates remained high amid a constant influx of foreign nationals to the country, it could spark xenophobia.
“Xenophobia is difficult to control, but the reality is that it won’t go away unless government does something.
“Unemployed locals feel that foreign nationals have an unfair advantage over them when it comes to getting the jobs available,” said Burger.
He also cautioned against the spate of service delivery related protests and violent strikes the country has been experiencing in recent years.
“Our government must seriously address issues of public discontent.
“The truth is there are many shack dwellers out there who are not happy with the way things have been going and who say there is a bigger potential threat to safety as well and we must be worried,” he said.
Burger said violent service delivery protests have increased by 1 600% over the last eight years.
“In 2011 alone, violent incidents were close to 80%, and we had 173 violent incidents reported last year,” he said.
Burger said there had also been a 23% increase in violent strikes in the space of a year.
“Once somebody start the spark, there will certainly be an explosion,” he said.
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