Exploring the Interface between Discrimination of Immigrants and Ubuntu Concept in South Africa: A Case of African Migrants in Alice Township of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.

Exclusion of African migrants in the South African society and mainstream economy remains a challenge in South Africa. Additionally, the attacks on African migrants in May 2008 and 2015 remain a hallmark that Africa needs to zone into its boundaries and address socio-economic challenges. This has profoundly posed serious questions on the significance and applicability of the Ubuntu principles in the contemporary Africa. The study used qualitative research approach and snowball sampling technique to select five (5) religious leaders and 17 African migrants to explore the interface between Ubuntu and the concept of name-calling of African migrants in South Africa. The type of research used was exploratory and descriptive in nature. Research data were collected through structured interviews and the thematic data analysis method was used. Ecosystems theory was used to guide the study. Results depict that name-calling is a lighter manifestation of underlying feelings of dislike, anger and hatred that is expressed against African migrants which indicate a significant deviation from the largely epitomised Ubuntu principle. In addition, African migrants often suffer attacks due to reckless utterances by government officials who frequently put the blame for poor service delivery on them. As such, the paper concluded that African migrants are mere soft targets for frustrated South Africans who have waited far too long for their emancipation from economic distress. The paper, therefore, recommended that Africans and South Africans in particular embrace their diversity and strive for coherence in developing Afro-based solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]