Six in 10 South Africans do not trust foreigners, a survey revealed on Tuesday.

The distrust of foreigners among locals had increased from 60 percent in 2008 to 67% in 2011.

The survey was conducted among 2400 adult South Africans from rural and urban areas in October and November last year, by Afrobarometer in partnership with the Institute for Democracy in Southern Africa (Idasa).

The actual data collection was done by Citizens Surveys. It was aimed at gauging South Africans’ perceptions and attitudes on migration.

Forty-four percent of the respondents disagreed with providing protection for asylum seekers in South Africa.

Close to a third (32 percent) would take action against migrants moving into their neighbourhood.

The report on the survey was released at the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), in Braamfontein.

Anyway Chingwete, Afrobarometer project manager, said the findings showed that South Africa had a long way to go in dealing with negative sentiments towards foreigners.

“We need first to accept that we are less receptive to foreigners... so that we’ll be able to address the problem.

“The government has to take an active role to educate its people to accept foreigners... also [to] teach locals that there are some rights awarded to foreigners,” said Chingwete.

The survey also showed that just above a third (36 percent) of the sample would stop foreigners from operating businesses in South Africa.

Sixty-three percent said the government had failed to adequately manage migration issues in South Africa.

On which foreigners should be allowed to have South African citizenship, 62% said a wife of a South African was a good candidate.   Only 48% of the respondents felt that a husband of a South African woman should get citizenship.

However, Jean Pierre Misago, a researcher at the African Centre for Migration and Society at Wits, said the sentiments expressed in the survey were not unique to South Africans.

“They [negative views] have been found in other parts of the world such as Europe, Asia, and in the US.

“The sentiments come from the fear of the unknown. We tend to think that people who are not from us can create some kind of danger,” he said.

Misago said negative attitudes toward outsiders were in the open in most societies in the world.

“The difference in South Africa is that these attitudes seem to be more pervasive and more South Africans, than anywhere else, are willing to express their feelings in action in order to prevent people from coming into their country,” he said.

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Sat May 25 22:10:07 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 9, 2012

mambozana

the goverment is to be blamed for not controlling the borders and migration procedures. Corrupt officials as well for taking bribes, creating chaos in Mzantsi. Next time people of mzantsi must get rid of nigerians, damn pretending to own salons whereas they selling drugs. Somalis and zimbabweans atleast they work very hard to earn a living in mzantsi to feed their families back home.
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Oct 9, 2012

tpaz

I am not surprised becoz we don't even trust each other. We make you our leader ,you steal from us while we are sleeping.
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Oct 9, 2012

Mondi

I agree with the above 2 comments. these people are comitting serious crimes!!
And they are many many in mzanzi. Put back the old army at our borders. They did good job at least!!

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Oct 9, 2012

Naija4Life

no worries saffers..u can trust us Naijas...we'll not let u down...
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Oct 9, 2012

Mellow

@Tpaz LOL true though and sooo sad its hard to trust a stranger when you cant even trust your own beacuse they forever they advantage
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Oct 10, 2012

Pointman

I admit that I am one of the 67% but like @mambozana I distrust certain foreigners only and not all. Because of the criminal activities of some Nigerians I do not trust the community. Pakistanis are the other crowd that should not be trusted. Zimbabweans, Mozambiquans, Malawians I do not have a problem with.
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Oct 10, 2012

RobinH

The rampant xenophobia among SOuth Africans is absolutely sickening. Once we were seen as a warm, hospitable nation. Well that;s long d e a d now. Now , if almost anything goes wrong anywhere, the mindless chorus of "send the makwerekwere home" starts up, regardless of who did what, where. Disgusting.
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Oct 10, 2012

RobinH

tpaz: A WONDERFULLY ASTUTE OBSERVATION> GREAT!!!! Thanks.
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Oct 10, 2012

uMnuz

If foreigners put as much effort, strength and determination into improving life in their own land as they do into biting the hand that feeds them, they could make their own country a place to call home. I HAVE no problem with genuine ones. It is our duty to help where we can.


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Oct 10, 2012

Kabelo10

I don't trust Nigerians PERIOD!!!
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