Language and the geopolitics of (dis)location: A study of Zimbabwean Shona and Ndebele speakers in Johannesburg

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gugulethu Siziba ◽  
Lloyd Hill
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Migration Literature ◽  
African Migrants ◽  
Social Positioning ◽  
Language And Ethnicity ◽  
The City

AbstractThe Zimbabwean diaspora is a well-documented phenomenon. While much research has been done on Zimbabwean migration to South Africa, the role that language plays in this process has not been well researched. This article draws on South African census data and qualitative fieldwork data to explore the manner in which Zimbabwean migrants use languages to appropriate spaces for themselves in the City of Johannesburg. The census data shows that African migrants tend to concentrate in the Johannesburg CBD, and fieldwork in this area reveals that Zimbabwean migrants are particularly well established in two suburbs—Yeoville and Hillbrow. The article explores migrant language repertoires, which include English, Shona, Ndebele, and a variant of Zulu. While many contributions to the migration literature tend to assume a strong association between language and ethnicity, the article shows how this relationship is mediated by geographic location and social positioning within the city. (Language, migration, Johannesburg, South Africa, Zimbabwe)*

scholarly journals Disarming the xenophobic everyday: Muslim migrants and the horizons of urban mutuality in Durban

Africa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-316
Author(s):  
Benjamin Kirby ◽  
Francis Sibanda ◽  
Fred Charway
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
South African ◽  
African Migrants ◽  
Everyday Lives ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
African Community ◽  
The City ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
Shed Light

AbstractThis article explores the everyday lives that African migrants in Durban, South Africa share with other residents of the city. In conversation with Obvious Katsaura's work on ‘ethno-mutualism’, we use the example of ordinary greeting practices to show how Durban's urban everyday has been hijacked by xenophobic sensibilities. By demonstrating how the act of excluding migrants from these practices threatens to render the quotidian city uninhabitable for them, we shed light on the importance of mundane forms of social interaction for building a sense of identity and belonging. We then consider several ways in which African migrants develop and participate in Muslim forms of sociality that assist them in ‘disarming’ the urban everyday: from providing a platform for building solidarity with fellow migrants to mediating a ‘sense of welcome’ from the established Indian South African community. Elaborating on this, we delineate how forms of reciprocity emerge through the interactions between migrant and Indian Muslims that reproduce the ambient life of the city as a shared habitat, opening up new possibilities for entanglement. As such, our analysis contributes to emerging conversations about urban mutuality and migrant religious practices in the everyday lives of African cities.

Do migrants lives matter? A comparison of causes of death between African migrants from SADC countries and South Africans in the post-Apartheid era (2002-2015)

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-468
Author(s):  
Lorena Núñez Carrasco ◽  
Abha Jaiswal ◽  
Jairo Arrow ◽  
Michel Kasongo Muteba ◽  
Bidhan Aryal
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
South African ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South Africans ◽  
African Migrants ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Migrants historically and currently form an integral part of South Africa. Their importance and contribution to the country’s economy and development are undeniable. Yet, life for African migrants in South Africa is becoming increasingly difficult. An analysis of migrants mortality until now has not been conducted. The purpose of this paper is to compare the trends of the cause of death among South African Citizens (RSA) and African migrants from countries that form part of the South African Development Community (SADC), that make up nearly 70% of the migrants in the country. Design/methodology/approach Using Stats SA data of all registered deaths in South Africa (2002-2015), this paper compares all causes of death (COD) between RSA and SADC migrants. This paper studies the patterns in COD among these population groups for the years 2002 to 2015 in deaths due to infectious diseases and unnatural causes. Logistic regression was used to quantify the odds of dying due to infectious disease and unnatural causes for each population group. This paper included a calculation of the odds of dying due to assault, as a sub-group within unnatural deaths. Findings A total of 7,611,129 deaths were recorded for the local South African population and 88,114 for SADC migrants for the period under study (2002–2015). The burden of mortality for both infectious diseases and unnatural causes was higher for SADC migrants as compared to RSA. SADC migrants were 1.22 times more likely to die from infectious diseases than RSA (P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.12, 1.23). Similarly, SADC migrants were 2.7 times more likely to die from unnatural causes than South Africans (P < 0.001, 95% CI (2.17, 2.23). The odds of dying from assault was the same as that of unnatural causes. Also, it was found that women were more likely to die from infectious diseases (OR = 1.11, P < 0.001, 95% CI (1.11, 1.11) compared to men, regardless of nationality. Research limitations/implications The bias resulting from migrants who return home to die due to illness, described in the literature as the salmon bias, is present in this paper. This paper, therefore, concludes death due to infectious diseases could be higher among migrants. Practical implications The heightened mortality among SADC migrants can be related to the impact of social determinants of health such as living and working conditions and barriers to access to health care. Moreover, the higher probability of death due to unnatural causes such as assaults constitute a proxy to estimate the impact of xenophobic violence observed in the country over the past decade. Policy interventions should focus on migrant health-care systems. Also, programmes to mitigate and curb xenophobic sentiments should be carried out to address the growing disparity of preventable unnatural causes of death. Originality/value This study offers the first quantification of mortality due to infectious diseases and unnatural causes among RSA and SADC migrants.

Nature and Impact of Chinese and South African Engagement on the Development of the City of Lusaka

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Hangwei Li ◽  
Gilbert Siame
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Real Estate ◽  
South African ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
The Other ◽  
Economic Power ◽  
Private Capital ◽  
Chinese Investment ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The City

Abstract As Zambia’s chief administrative centre and a major financial, transportation, and manufacturing hub for the country, the City of Lusaka has become one of the fasted growing cities in Southern Africa. Encouraged by the Chinese government’s ‘going out’ policy, Chinese investment and trade with Zambia have risen dramatically since the 2000s. Chinese investment is increasingly shaping the growth of Lusaka City and its hinterland in significant ways. On the other hand, South Africa as a regional geo-economic power has also amplified its strategic engagement with Lusaka. The paper explores how these two geo-economic powers have shaped the development of the City of Lusaka. Findings show that investments from South Africa into the City are private capital backed and are predominantly in the retail and real estate sectors. Chinese engagement in the city are dominated by large government-related construction projects, which have often been state-backed. Analysing the findings through the lens of urban assemblage and polarisation, the paper argues that the City is increasingly becoming more socio-spatially divided with the poor being more adversely affected by the nature and location of investments.

ANALYSING CROSS-SECTIONAL DATA WITH TIME-DEPENDENT COVARIATES: THE CASE OF AGE AT FIRST BIRTH IN SOUTH AFRICA

2003 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-367
Author(s):  
ACHEAMPONG YAW AMOATENG ◽  
I. KALULE-SABITI ◽  
PRUDENCE DITLOPO
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Age At First Birth ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
South African Society ◽  
Independent Variables

Analysing time-dependent independent variables requires the use of process-oriented statistical models. Yet social scientists – especially those in poor countries – have often had to use data collected at a single point in time, making their task difficult. Making several assumptions about the covariates, the present study uses survival analysis and other statistical techniques to analyse the 1996 South African population census data and examine the effects of selected independent variables on the timing of parenthood in the country. It was found that the onset of parenthood occurs late in South Africa compared with the pattern in most other African societies. While education plays a role in the postponement of parenthood within racial groups, it fails to explain the differences between African and Coloured women on the one hand, and White and Asian women on the other hand, a finding that suggests the existence of two regimes of family formation in South African society.

scholarly journals Transformation and development towards a fully inclusive society and economy in the City of Johannesburg, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-74
Author(s):  
Paul Kibuuka
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
International Investment ◽  
Inclusive Society ◽  
Sustainable Economic Growth ◽  
The City

This paper analyzes the state of economic growth and development in the City of Johannesburg (COJ) South Africa as by the year 2016 and presents a case for transformation and development of the City towards a fully inclusive economy and society. The research reveals that faster and sustainable economic growth in addition to proactive pro-equity policies are a sine qua non for inclusive growth and participation in the City, where the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment persist more than 20 years into the democratic dispensation. During the last 17 years the City economy has grown at almost the same pace as the national South African economy with a trend reflective of major world economic events. Going forward, the South African economy is projected to grow at less 2% annually in the next 3 years. In terms of the City, the prognosis is that the City will either continue to trace the national economic growth rate or decline from 2% in 2016 to 1% in 2018. In order to achieve the objectives and goals of the Johannesburg 2040 Growth and Development Strategy in the long term and the City Integrated Development Plan in the medium term, the City leadership and administration will need to begin by not only addressing factors that inhibit economic efficiency including crime and corruption, but also the provision of a critical pipeline of skills required by industry in order to attract local and international investment. The increase in investment is expected to broaden the revenue base and to strengthen the financial capacity of the City to roll out services to the previously disadvantaged communities so as to bring them into the mainstream of economic empowerment and social transformation.

scholarly journals A Comparative Analysis Of Immigrants And Natives Occupational Attainment In Post-Apartheid South Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1061
Author(s):  
Miracle Ntuli ◽  
Tendai Gwatidzo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
South African ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Country Of Origin ◽  
African Immigrants ◽  
Occupational Attainment ◽  
Occupational Distribution

This study investigates the occupational status of South African natives and immigrants, considering the intersection between race and nativity. Using census data for 2001, the study finds that whites dominate the top end of the occupational distribution, while the reverse is the case for Africans, irrespective of nativity. Thus, in post-Apartheid South Africa, race explains more of an individuals occupational status than country of origin the legacy of apartheid still lingers on. The study also finds that South African-born Africans are more likely to compete for the same occupations with African immigrants from non-SADC countries than those from SADC countries. To some extent, this violates the claim that African immigrants from SADC countries steal natives jobs.

scholarly journals Mending The Broken Bridges: An Analysis of Familyhood in Zakes Mda’s Ways of Dying (1995)

IJOHMN ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
Brightman Makoni
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Death And Dying ◽  
The Novel ◽  
African Community ◽  
The Village ◽  
The City

This paper examines South African literature’s paradigm shift through Zakes Mda’s disruption of the dominant trope of apartheid by his focusing on black ordinary lives in Ways of Dying. The novel foregrounds the broken bridges of love and unity that used to link families before colonisation. Mda demonstrates how the rise of the city engendered the demise of the village where blacks lived as a unified community before migrating to the city whence they sink into individualism. The discussion focuses on family units during the period of death and dying to reveal broken links that happen to have a bearing to black familyhood. The focus of the argument is on how Mda depicts and mends the lost spirit of oneness among the blacks during the final stages of the anti-apartheid struggle and the transition to a democratic South Africa. The discussion highlights a new traditional African community built on forgiveness, care and unity.

scholarly journals How Loud Is Too Loud? Competing Rights to Religious Freedom and Property and the Muslim Call to Prayer (Adhan or Azan) in South Africa

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 349
Author(s):  
Najma Moosa
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Constitutional Rights ◽  
Religious Minority ◽  
Human Voice ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Call To Prayer ◽  
The City

This article approaches the position of the call to prayer (adhan or azan) in South Africa from the perspective of both legislation and case law. Although only an unamplified adhan has religious status in Islam, Muslim religious authorities (ulama) have since the twentieth century also approved of, and permitted, an amplified adhan. The adhan has been rendered in both forms from South African mosques (masjids) for some 223 years. However, the unamplified adhan has recently come under the legal and judicial spotlight when the volume of its rendering by human voice was restricted. In August 2020, after prior attempts at municipal level and mediation had been unsuccessful, a high court in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, ruled that the sound of the unamplified adhan emanating from a mosque located on the premises of an Islamic institution (madrassa) in the city of Durban should not be audible within the house situated on nearby property belonging to a Hindu neighbor. Wide media coverage reported that the ruling was publicly decried and met with criticism. The Madrassa lodged an appeal in September 2020 and the matter is ongoing. The High Court’s decision is binding in KwaZulu-Natal, a province where Hindus, as a religious minority, are concentrated. The article highlights that although the decision is not binding on similar courts in other provinces, its outcome may yet have far-reaching consequences for the adhan as a religious and cultural heritage symbol, and for religious symbols generally, because similar complaints have been lodged, albeit against amplified adhans, against several mosques located in major cities (Cape Town and Tshwane) of two other provinces where Muslims, as a religious minority, are largely concentrated. The article examines the adhan in the context of competing constitutional rights to religious freedom and property (neighbor law) in South Africa. The article proffers some recommendations for the way forward in South Africa based in some instances on the position of the adhan in several countries. It concludes that, ultimately, unamplified, unduly amplified and duly amplified adhans may all yet be found to constitute a noise nuisance in South Africa, if challenged and found to be unreasonable.

scholarly journals Towards a fusion of horizons: Thematic contours for an urban public theological praxis-agenda in South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan De Beer ◽  
Ignatius Swart
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Right To The City ◽  
Public Theology ◽  
Urban Migration ◽  
Fusion Of Horizons ◽  
The Commons ◽  
African Context ◽  
The City

This article proposes a ‘fusion of horizons’ in constructing urban public theologies in South Africa. This is done through the introduction of five interrelated themes that have emerged from the on-going knowledge and idea production by a distinguishable counterpoint in contemporary scholarly, intellectual and activist engagement with the urban, in the authors’ own South African context but also wider internationally. In advancing a praxis-agenda for urban public theology, the authors subsequently identify the following, albeit not exhaustive, themes: southern urbanisms and the factor of unprecedented urban migration; ‘right to the city’ and urbanisation from below; a reclaiming of the commons; the making of ‘good cities’; and actors of faith in relation to urban social life.

scholarly journals The impact of xenophobia-Afrophobia on the informal economy in Durban CBD, South Africa

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Tshishonga
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Informal Economy ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
African Countries ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Economic Survival ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City ◽  
Formal And Informal Sectors

The renewed incidents of xenophobia, which engulfed South Africa, dented this country’s image, continentally and internationally. These occurrences invoke an unresolved question, thus: Can xenophobic attacks be attributed to tighter or discriminatory immigration policies or are people caught in quandary for socio-economic survival? Similarly to the pogroms in Poland against Jews, xenophobia left fatal scars, not only amongst Africans and non- Africans, and has affected the informal economy negatively. This article explores the impact of xenophobia on the operations of the informal economy on which the poor depend for socio-economic survival. For the most part of April-May 2015, the streets of Durban were deserted because of the xenophobic attacks on non-South African businesses, particularly those owned by Africans from different parts of the continent. Fear was planted in the city of Durban, which in turn led to the decline in economic activity, both formal and informal sectors, with the later bearing the most brunt. The city was turned into a battle field whereby Afro-hatred was perpetuated with the intention of causing bodily harm and making deportation threats. Nationals from other African countries, mainly Nigerians, Somalis, Malawians, Zimbabweans, Mozambicans, Ethiopians and Congolese were accused of taking jobs meant for locals and suffocating their businesses as well as taking their women. In fear of their lives, non-South Africans were forced to close their businesses and to go into hiding. This article argues that the impact of xenophobia is a double-edged sword and has far- reaching implications for both South Africans and non-South Africans as the local city dwellers depend on the services provided by informal businesses. The article uses both primary and secondary data. The empirical data was extracted mainly from the street traders and hawkers eking a living in the informal sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document