The Southern African Liaison Office

The Southern African Liaison Office

International liaison, dialogue and research.

Policy Dialogues 

SALO Public Dialogue on the Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill: Addressing Xenophobic Hate Speech and Violence – 2 October 2023

SALO

The Southern African Liaison Office held a virtual, public dialogue on the Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill: Addressing Xenophobic Hate Speech and Violence.

Watch here: https://fb.watch/nB1gqqnhgn/

This dialogue happened against the backdrop of the rise in anti-migrant sentiments within the mainstream political discourse ahead of the 2024 elections, which has sparked debate among analysts on the protections created through legislation like the Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill. The emergence of populist vigilante groupings such as ‘Operation Dudula’ and ‘Put South Africa First’ has created an additional dynamic of coordinated and organised xenophobic violence, without few repercussions from the criminal justice system.

The institutionalisation of these groupings has created permanence to the vulnerability of migrant persons in South Africa. While the Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill remains a necessary step toward the protection of vulnerable groups like migrants, it also proves that legislation alone cannot address social attitudes. The non-renewal of the ZEP, and the review of the migration, refugee, and asylum seeker pieces of legislation bring into question the future of migrants in South Africa, and whether the Pan-African and international solidarity approach toward relations with the people of the continent remains the bedrock of South Africa’s policy.

Ahead of South Africa’s General Elections in 2024, we have seen political parties such as Action SA, and Patriotic Alliance as key proponents of anti-migrant rhetoric, while Operation Dudula is attempting to register as a political party, thus placing the situation of migrants under the spotlight.

This dialogue sought to unpack the interlinkages and contradictions in both the public policy sphere and the political sphere concerning the situation of migrants in South Africa and discuss the counter-narratives to change social views.