3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Making a living and moving on: exploring the livelihoods of regularised Zimbabweans in Johannesburg, South Africa(2017) Muchichwa, Tariro Winnet ChaiyeThis research is encouraged by the recent developments in the migration patterns of Zimbabweans in South Africa in the period 2009-2016. The absence of secure livelihoods due to the political stalemate in Zimbabwe resulted in Zimbabweans looking for a safe haven in different parts of the world. South Africa is among many other countries which has been a recipient of both undocumented and documented Zimbabweans. Most Zimbabweans in South Africa were undocumented and in 2010 the South African government made an initiative to regularise the positions of Zimbabweans living in South Africa, yet there is limited academic research on the livelihoods of regularised Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa. The rationale behind the implementation of the Zimbabwe Documentation Process (ZDP) in 2010 and the renewal of the process through issuing the Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP) in 2014 is noteworthy. However, this study explores the livelihood experiences of regularised Zimbabweans in Johannesburg, South Africa. The research examines the livelihood strategies, challenges, opportunities and outcomes of regularised Zimbabwean migrants. The purpose of this formative qualitative study is to investigate if the access to livelihood opportunities and outcomes among regularised Zimbabwean migrants are strongly dependant on documentation. This is an important area of study given the ongoing special dispensation for Zimbabweans in South Africa and the wider migration scholarship in the country. Based on 15 semi structured interviews with regularised Zimbabwean migrants and 1 key informant conducted in Turfontein and Florida my assertion in this study is that the reported livelihood experiences of regularised Zimbabweans highlight a complex connection between documentation and livelihoods. On one hand findings show that documentation has improved the economic and social wellbeing of regularised Zimbabwean migrant in Johannesburg and on the other hand, documentation is undermining the livelihood options of regularised Zimbabwean migrants. For individuals who are in search of secure and sustainable livelihoods, findings show that mostly regularisation is offering limited protection and temporary rights to migrants who are likely to live in South Africa for years to come. Key words: documentation, livelihood experiences, regularisation, regularised Zimbabwean migrants, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Documentation Project, and Zimbabwe Special Permit.Item The port and the island: identity, cosmopolitanism and Islam among Somali women in Nairobi and Johannesburg(2016) Ripero-Muñiz, NereidaThis thesis explores how the Somali diaspora constitutes itself as a collectivity by analysing identity formation processes in an interconnected postmodern world, where migration has become much common than before, where identities are not as certain as they used to be and where a trans- local sense of being connected surpasses fix national borders. I propose the concept of the cosmopolitan refugee in order to explore how Somaliness is constructed in diasporic contexts, based on the interweaving of cosmopolitan, vernacular and national identifications. Moreover, Somaliness cannot be understood today without the influence of Islam, the cosmopolitan and political implications of belonging to the umma and the importance of being seen as a “good Muslim”. Using ethnographic and narrative data, this research takes a gendered approach and moves beyond the prevailing representations of Somali women in the global imagination by presenting alternative discourses and narratives that explore the dynamics of identity constructions these women undergo in relation to cultural, religious and gender practices in the two urban contexts of Nairobi and Johannesburg. These are two interconnected cities for the Somali diaspora that metaphorical operate as a port and as island. Both places are transitional places for Somalis and in both cities the creation of the “little Mogadishus” of Eastleigh, in Nairobi, and Mayfair, in Johannesburg, generates a particular trans-local situation in which collective identity, through the repetition of cultural and religious practices, is able to transform the urban space, at the same time that the implementation of these practices makes these places to be connected between them, to the lost homeland in Somalia and to any other place in the world Somalis inhabit these days. However, due to the bigger Somali population and the historical and geographical links with Somalia, Somalis in Nairobi develop greater feelings of belonging than in Johannesburg, where isolation seems to be the more widespread feeling. Somalis in Nairobi are more exposed to cosmopolitanism due to the relationship they have with the city, the fact that Eastleigh is a point of constant transit and an important commercial hub across the Somali diaspora all around the world, and the presence of Somalis belonging to different backgrounds. In Johannesburg, the Somali population is much smaller and the isolated situation most Somalis find make them use Somaliness as a way of resilience and demarcating difference, resulting in certain vernacular and religious practices being strengthened. In this sense, Nairobi is experienced by Somalis as more cosmopolitan than Johannesburg. Nevertheless in both contexts Somaliness is constructed around a sense of unity based on: a common place of origin and mythical past, a common language, religion and “culture”, implemented in the everyday life by the habitus of cultural and religious practices. This habitus together with a narrative of the nation being constructed in the virtual spaces of Facebook and Instagram creates a strong sense of belonging to an “imagined community”. Somaliness resides not within the boundaries of a nation-state but in a trans-local sense of being connected.Item Narratives of Zimbabwean children and parents: language brokering in Johannesburg(2016) Katsere, Ivan Munashe LeighChildren often serve daily as language brokers for migrant families in the foreign context of host countries (Morales & Hanson, 2005). Although this is a reality for migrant families around the world, the phenomenon and migrant children continue to be invisible in research (Orellana, 2009). Dehumanization and subtle, daily xenophobic attitudes in the complex linguistic landscape of multilingual South Africa have created the need for children to interpret for parents and other family members even where the common lingua franca of English is shared and is the recognised official medium of communication. The perceived superiority of English and the arrogant dominance of English speakers (Achebe, 2006) have been associated with the new elite of black South Africans who speak fluent English and by extension, black migrant English speakers are similarly perceived as asserting dominance through their dependence on English. Analysing narratives of migrant families, this research project yields that the continual resistance to the English language and other non-South African vernaculars is interlinked with and seems to perpetuate xenophobic attitudes and dehumanization. The anxiety for adult migrants who do not speak local languages is often dealt with by child language brokers who mediate for their parents and other migrants in multiple spaces including informal (e.g. taxis, streets, shops etc.) to more formal spaces such as hospitals and schools. Playing this role suggests adult responsibility for the child, with a possible impact on family dynamics and relations. Although negative feelings of embarrassment are often experienced by parents, these were outweighed by a sense of pride for children being able to help their families, and the sense of security the family feels because of the children’s linguistic capabilities. Traditional family dynamics and roles do not seem to be significantly altered or negatively impacted by children taking on unconventionally ‘adult roles’. Having acculturated faster, understanding the language rules, politics and consequences of not speaking local languages, this research suggests that brokers function for the benefit of the family and use their skills to reduce anxiety related to xenophobic attitudes and dehumanization against parents and peers particularly when moving between spaces, for example, between home and school or work.Item Entrepreneurship amongst Somali migrants in South Africa(2016) Ibrahim, Bashir SheikhThis study focused on understanding the drivers of entrepreneurship amongst Somali migrants in South Africa. An administered survey questionnaire and in-depth case studies are used to explore the manner in which Somalia migrants, who arrive in South Africa, as refugees, establish enterprises and thrive in the business environment despite their uncertain status and limited access to investment capital or other supportive initiatives. Drawing on the wider available literature a broad conceptual framework was used to guide and shape the areas of detailed exploration. These broadly include, a) the socio cultural explanations, b) the push and pull factors that encourage entrepreneurial activities, and c) the environmental factors (economic and legal) that facilitate entrepreneurship amongst migrants. At an overall level, there are no ‘secret’ transferable ingredients for such entrepreneurship. The study reveals that it is a combination of historic factors and elements of ‘social capital’ that shape and motivate entrepreneurship activities amongst these migrants. The lessons derived can and are being be used to inform policy interventions to shape entrepreneurship in the wider society. However, there has to be appreciation of the unique circumstances and historic incentive opportunities that drive particular practices. In so doing, the study concluded on the need for further research in this terrain and the importance of building a deeper understanding on verifiable and substantive quantitative and qualitative data. Keywords: Migrant Entrepreneurship, Social Capital, Small Enterprises, Somali Refugees, South Africa