https://www.flickr.com/photos/tawedzerwazhou/3973948297
A De Deur Camp Refugee. Photo taken by Tawe Zplit, 2009.
Arine Tusenge from Burundi is among refugees that found themselves out in the open again after several they were evicted from a shelter on the vaal, south africa.They had been moved to the shelter after 2008’s Xenophobia related attacks. 01-10-09
Burundi is a small country in Eastern Africa that is bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. People migrated from South Africa’s neighboring countries due to corruption, hunger, weak infrastructure, poor access to health care and education. The younger population tends to migrate elsewhere in search of opportunities in the job market and to flee corruption. This young woman was evicted from a migrant shelter in Vaal, South Africa after a wave of xenophobia riots. xenophobia is an intense fear or hatred of those from other countries, making inward migration a dangerous and near impossible feat. This information was gathered from the Migration Policy Institute, a scholarly article depicting the affects of xenophobia in South Africa.
This is a first hand account of migrants/refugees ordeals as they attempt to find a foothold in a new country, and what challenges they face based off of the publics view of migrants within the receiving country. The photographer, going by the name of Tawe Zplit, focuses on a period post riots with the subjects being the displaces and suffering. The artists sells his photos to charity organizations, newspapers and magazines in an attempt to draw focus to a core issue affecting his country. The artist often shows the brutality of police and residents towards migrants in which the actions are shown in a negative light. This perception of brutality, in addition to what his photos are used for reveals a bias for the kind treatment of immigrants, disdain for poverty and corruption. This affects the intended audience because it invokes empathy for those being impacted. The work has been widely received and used in many different media sources. This information can be viewed on his Instagram and Flicker profiles: (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tawedzerwazhou/3973948297) under the biography and information tab, as well as some of the links he has sold to.
South Africa, in the past, has drawn migrants in because of economic opportunities and access to healthcare and education. However, post 2008 the view towards migrants has changed, this was triggered by an end of the apartheid. Views towards migrants shifted as a backlash towards an influx of migrants. After the xenophobic riots, sparked by the massive amount of inward-migration, migrants are no longer welcome and are treated to brutal attacks by citizens and no help from the government. This source offers a first hand look of individual migrants, once welcomed in the country, now living in fear.
Erin Jones