South Africa's illegal aliens: constructing national boundaries in a post-apartheid state

Abstract

One of the many challenges facing the new South Africa is the need to build a national identity and community distinct from the racial, ethnic and cultural cleavages of its apartheid past. This analysis examines the contemporary nation-building project with a specific focus on immigration. Since the first all-race elections in April 1994, South Africa has reportedly experienced a massive influx of illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries. In the absence of a racialized 'other', these immigrants have become scapegoats for the country's current social, economic and political ills. At the same time, immigrants and immigration provide content for the discursive construction of the country's national identity, as politicians, the media, government officials and disgruntled citizens define who is properly 'South African', by focusing on, or identifying, who is not.