Politicising Immigration: Racialised Discourse and Electoral Politics in South Africa

The complex history of South Africa, which is anchored on colonialism, apartheid, Afrophobia and xenophobia, has incubated and hatched the politicisation of immigration. Premised on the foregoing contextual background statement emanating from the local people’s frustration and aggression, this qualitative desktop and critical discourse analysis study examined the Afrophobic and Xenophobic racialised narratives on immigration in South Africa. This study examined the language and narratives used by key political actors, such as politicians, policymakers, and media outlets, to instigate and legitimise racialised hostility narratives against immigration. This study established that the politicisation of immigration in South Africa stems from racialised narratives, which perpetuate Afrophobia and xenophobic behaviours with the political actors’ endorsement. The findings demonstrate that political actors use political rhetoric to create a sense of crisis and urgency around immigration. The study aids in understanding the interplay between racialised political rhetoric on electoral politics and immigration policy in South Africa. This study’s implication is promoting an inclusive and equitable immigration policy that brings harmony amongst the local and immigrant populations. Finally, the study recommends that policymakers and practitioners should focus on developing pragmatic-based immigration policies as a panacea to the underlying causes of xenophobia and Afrophobia in South Africa. Keywords: Politicisation of Immigration, Racialised Discourse, Electoral Politics, Critical Discourse Analysis, Xenophobia, South Africa