Xenophobia as a challenge to the notion of hospitality in pastoral care : the plight of Burundian refugees living in Cape Town-South Africa

Date
2024-03
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research was conducted to deal with xenophobia as a challenge to hospitality in pastoral care within the context of the plight of the Burundian refugees living in Cape Town, South Africa. The Burundian refugees fled their country due to the long history of war. They ended up in Cape Town where they face fear due to xenophobic attacks threatening their lives, having lost their loved ones and their belongings during xenophobic attacks. The research has opted for Practical Theological Approach as a methodological framework. Along with the information gathered through literature review, the researcher conducted the interviews among Burundian refugees in Cape Town. The responses from the interviews agreed with the findings of the literature review. In this regard, this research discovered that refugees suffered xenophobia as they were accused of ‘stealing’ South African women, as well as ‘stealing’ jobs and businesses belonging to South Africans. The political transitions and speeches from certain political leaders worsened xenophobia as the attacks were mostly responded to in denial. The refugees in Cape Town have to endure the attacks by the locals who call them denigrating names to make them feel unwanted. This research has discovered the way black South Africans suffered at the hand of apartheid and how this contributed to the attitude of xenophobia as black South Africans view foreigners from other African countries as parasites who come to South Africa to use up their resources. In this research, the theological reflection has discovered various types of xenophobia in the Bible. This was dealt with in chapter four where the researcher brought out the situation of xenophobia which the Israelites faced in Egypt and in Babylon. This research has also discovered how xenophobia was perpetrated in the Bible. The laws given to protect the foreigners in the Bible are lauded as ways through which the church in South Africa can teach locals to accept the strangers through hospitality. Furthermore, this research has also pointed out the way Jesus accepted foreigners and taught His disciples to offer hospitality to strangers. Dealing with the xenophobia that challenges the notion of hospitality, the interplay between Diakonia and hospitality was useful in a bid to draw an action plan of dealing with xenophobia in Cape Town. In this regard, the church can use the skills of peaching, counselling, missions, diakonia, fellowship, as well acknowledging the skills of foreigners and giving them a chance to serve. Among the theories of xenophobia, the cosmopolitanism theory has been considered as the theory that is more useful to curb xenophobia.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsing is gedoen om xenofobie te hanteer as 'n uitdaging vir gasvryheid in pastorale sorg binne die konteks van die lot van die Burundiese vlugtelinge wat in Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika woon. Die Burundiese vlugtelinge het weens die lang geskiedenis van oorlog uit hul land gevlug. Hulle het in Kaapstad beland waar hulle vrees in die gesig staar weens xenofobiese aanvalle wat hul lewens bedreig, nadat hulle hul geliefdes en hul besittings tydens xenofobiese aanvalle verloor het. Die navorsing het gekies vir Prakties-Teologiese Benadering as metodologiese raamwerk. Saam met die inligting wat deur literatuuroorsig ingesamel is, het die navorser die onderhoude onder Burundiese vlugtelinge in Kaapstad gevoer. Die antwoorde van die onderhoude stem ooreen met die bevindinge van die literatuuroorsig. In hierdie verband het hierdie navorsing ontdek dat vlugtelinge xenofobie beleef het omdat hulle daarvan beskuldig word dat hulle Suid-Afrikaanse vroue 'gesteel' het, asook dat hulle werk en besighede wat aan Suid-Afrikaners behoort, 'steel'. Die politieke oorgange en toesprake van sekere politieke leiers het xenofobie vererger, aangesien daar meestal in ontkenning op die aanvalle gereageer is. Die vlugtelinge in Kaapstad moet die aanvalle verduur deur die inwoners wat hulle afbreekende name noem om hulle ongewens te laat voel. Hierdie navorsing het ontdek hoe swart Suid-Afrikaners aan die hand van apartheid gely het en hoe dit bygedra het tot die houding van xenofobie aangesien swart Suid-Afrikaners buitelanders van ander Afrikalande beskou as parasiete wat na Suid-Afrika kom om hul hulpbronne op te gebruik. In hierdie navorsing het die teologiese besinning verskillende tipes xenofobie in die Bybel ontdek. Dit is in hoofstuk vier behandel waar die navorser die situasie van xenofobie waarmee die Israeliete in Egipte en in Babilon te kampe gehad het, na vore gebring het. Hierdie navorsing het ook ontdek hoe xenofobie in die Bybel gepleeg is. Die wette wat gegee word om die buitelanders in die Bybel te beskerm, word geprys as maniere waarop die kerk in Suid-Afrika plaaslike inwoners kan leer om die vreemdelinge deur gasvryheid te aanvaar. Verder het hierdie navorsing ook gewys op die manier waarop Jesus buitelanders aanvaar het en Sy dissipels geleer het om gasvryheid aan vreemdelinge te bied. Die hantering van die xenofobie wat die idee van gasvryheid uitdaag, was die wisselwerking tussen Diakonia en gasvryheid in 'n poging om 'n aksieplan vir die hantering van xenofobie in Kaapstad op te stel. In hierdie verband kan die kerk die vaardighede van prediking, berading, sendingwerk, diakonia, gemeenskap gebruik, asook die vaardighede van buitelanders erken en hulle die kans gee om te dien. Onder die teorieë van xenofobie is die kosmopolitanisme-teorie beskou as die teorie wat nuttiger is om xenofobie te bekamp.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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