Open border issues, crime and xenophobia in south africa: some ethical insights

Abstract

The Zimbabwe socio-economic and political crisis which began at the dawn of the new millennium saw many Zimbabweans migrating to South Africa and beyond in search of better living conditions. While some of the migrants went to South Africa with the right motives others went there with wrong motives, having used illegal and unethical means. It is important to note that the category of people who used illegal and unethical means included criminal elements, and those without requisite skills to justify their entry. This development has not only exposed the corruption that is probably pervasive at the South African border to Zimbabwe, but has also put to test the effectiveness of ubuntu in harmonizing human relations. The presence of Zimbabweans in South Africa has, no doubt, put a strain on the country’s resources resulting in the former venting their anger against the latter. I, however, argue that to deal with the problem of xenophobia, border control systems at the South African border must be tightened to flash out criminal elements, and prevent unskilled people from entering into South Africa. I also argue that there is need for South Africans to remove enemy images which tend to separate rather than unite people.