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EVERYDAY POLITICS AND COLLECTIVE MOBILIZATION AGAINST FOREIGNERS IN A SOUTH AFRICAN SHACK SETTLEMENT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2015

Tamlyn Monson
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Abstract

In contrast to the tolerant and largely peaceful ‘living politics' of informal settlements, as embodied by the social movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, this article considers a darker side of squatter politics: ‘xenophobic’ mobilization. I show how the historical stratification of citizenship in South Africa remains spatially embedded in longstanding informal settlements, where distinctive repertoires of collective action have been shaped by a (still unfinished) history of struggle for inclusion. Using archival research and interviews conducted in the informal settlements of Atteridgeville, Gauteng, I show how the continuing struggle for equal citizenship draws on shared experiences of mundane hardship and collective labour, giving rise to social distance between established local squatters and politically indifferent foreign newcomers. At times of protest, this polarity is concentrated by and converges with familiar practices of insurgent citizenship, creating a context for mobilization against foreigners. In this sense, ‘xenophobic’ mobilization may be seen to articulate a claim for inclusion by structurally excluded ‘citizens', rather than an exclusionary claim by those who already belong. The article provides a useful counterpoint to readings of ‘xenophobic’ violence that focus on the role of elite discourses, instrumental leaders or crude racial identities in shaping such mobilization.

Résumé

La littérature actuelle sur les habitants des baraques (shacks) « politique de vie » insiste sur une politique pacifique et ouverte des zones informelles qu'incarne un mouvement social comme Abahlali baseMjondolo. Cet article informe plutôt la dimension exclusive des mobilisations « xenophobes » de la politique des squatters. Il montre comment la stratification historique de la citoyenneté en Afrique du Sud s'enracine dans des zones informelles anciennes au sein desquelles des répertoires distinctifs d'action collective ont été façonnés par une histoire (inachevée) de lutte pour l'inclusion. S'appuyant sur des archives et des entretiens menés dans les zones informelles d'Atteridgeville, dans le Gauteng, l'article montre comment la lutte pour une citoyenneté égale se nourrit d'expériences partagées de difficulté du quotidien et de participation à l'action collective, provoquant une distance sociale entre les squatters locaux engagés dans la lutte politique et les nouveaux venus étrangers qui y sont indifférents. Il explore les contestations collectives, au cours desquelles ces subjectivités se polarisent, créant un contexte favorable à la mobilisation contre les étrangers. Dans ce sens, on peut voir la mobilisation « xenophobe » comme l'articulation d'une revendication d'inclusion par des « citoyens » structurellement exclus, plutôt que d'une revendication d'exclusion par ceux qui se sentent déjà appartenir. L'article offre un contrepoint utile aux lectures de la violence « xenophobe » qui se concentrent sur le rôle des discours des élites, des dirigeants clés ou des identités raciales sommaires dans la fabrique de cette mobilisation.

Type
The politics of exclusion and inclusion in Africa
Information
Africa , Volume 85 , Issue 1 , February 2015 , pp. 131 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 2015 

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