Thread by @superlinearza, I worry that a xenophobic flare up is imminent in #SouthAfrica. I [...]

I worry that a xenophobic flare up is imminent in #SouthAfrica. I wrote an article about the strange confluence of interests occurring around the #PutSouthAfricansFirst nationalistic and xenophobic hashtag that is fanning these flames: http://www.superlinear.co.za/xenophobia-nationalism-populism-whats-going-on-with-putsouthafricansfirst">https://www.superlinear.co.za/xenophobi...

Xenophobia, nationalism & populism: what’s going on with #PutSouthAfricansFirst?

I worry that a xenophobic flare up is imminent in South Africa. The flames have been fanned for the past few months and we're poised to reap the bitter harvest. There's a hashtag that's been bubbling...

http://www.superlinear.co.za/xenophobia-nationalism-populism-whats-going-on-with-putsouthafricansfirst

The hashtag gets used thousands of times a day. It& #39;s pretty popular by #SouthAfrica standards. Here& #39;s a network of the people using the hashtag.

It may all just be a bunch of unrelated cynical populists harnessing people& #39;s real economic anguish in this Time of COVID. But there are a series of coincidences and many familiar faces involved.

Herman Mashaba & the RET-linked ATM party are the public face. They a push a nationalist, MAGA-like message while anonymous accounts spew vitriol against foreigners. It& #39;s a classic 1-2 punch: public figures legitimise an otherwise unpalatable narrative. Just coincidence?

Another coincidence: both parts of this nationalistic, xenophobic movement have seminal events organised on 29 Aug: Mashaba& #39;s People& #39;s Dialogue launches and the anonymous xenophobes have a "citizens march" against foreigners, moving their rhetoric into the real world.

In fact, these & #39;anonymous trolls& #39; aren& #39;t completely anonymous. The DFR Lab& #39;s @jean_le_roux has done some great work digging into whose behind some of the most vitriolic, xenophobic content: https://medium.com/dfrlab/afrophobic-south-african-twitter-account-connected-to-nationalist-political-party-7e7205cc8987">https://medium.com/dfrlab/af...

Afrophobic South African Twitter account connected to nationalist political party

The widely followed account displayed Afrophobic sentiment through hashtags and promoted content from the South African First party

https://medium.com/dfrlab/afrophobic-south-african-twitter-account-connected-to-nationalist-political-party-7e7205cc8987

So many coincidences: a common hashtag, shared gatherings in the past, seminal events on the same day. What does one make of it?

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤔" title="Denkendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Denkendes Gesicht">

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👆" title="Rückhand Zeigefinger nach oben" aria-label="Emoji: Rückhand Zeigefinger nach oben"> Are you guys watching what& #39;s going on here (thread above)? cc @maxdupreez @songezozibi @karynmaughan @tumisole @samsole @ermbates @paulivw @kylecowan @adriaanbasson @ferialhaffajee @maggsnaidu @sikonathim @reditlhabi @mariannethamm

Burning your neighbour& #39;s furniture https://www.newframe.com/xenophobic-south-african-mobs-we-are-sanitising/">https://www.newframe.com/xenophobi...

Xenophobic South African mobs: ‘We are sanitising’

Residents of areas in Thokoza cite frustration about their own mass unemployment to justify evicting migrant neighbours and burning their property in the streets.

https://www.newframe.com/xenophobic-south-african-mobs-we-are-sanitising/

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