On air: Is this the new South Africa?

The violence against foreigners that began a week ago has spread. At least twenty people have been killed, some burned alive in scenes horribly reminiscent of the ‘necklacing’ that took place during apartheid.

It’s estimated that 6000 people have been forced to leave their homes. Those carrying out the violence blame foreigners for taking their jobs. If you’re South African, how do you feel about foreigners in your country? If you’re from elsewhere and have been to South Africa, do the sentiments behind this violence ring true with your experiences? Karnie, our South African colleague, wrote about this last week.

Talking Points for 19 May

Hello there, it’s Priya today. Thanks very much to Bob in Australia and Abdelilah in Morocco for looking after the latest blank page. A massive 229 comment so far, it has taken me a while to read through them all, but there are some interesting ideas. More on those below.