South Africa: Information on the East Indian community in South Africa, whether there is any evidence of discrimination against them, whether affirmative action is working in their favour and/or whether blacks are being given preference over persons of East Indian heritage
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZAF28583.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, South Africa: Information on the East Indian community in South Africa, whether there is any evidence of discrimination against them, whether affirmative action is working in their favour and/or whether blacks are being given preference over persons of East Indian heritage, 1 February 1998, ZAF28583.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac82c.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on the East Indian community in South Africa and whether there is any evidence of discrimination against them, whether affirmative action is working in their favour and/or whether blacks are being given preference over persons of East Indian heritage could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB. However, a 17 January 1997 India Abroad report states that several Indian professionals including doctors, lawyers and teachers were leaving South Africa due to increasing crime rate and because they had become targets for carjackers, murderers and racist bomb attacks, apparently because they are seen as wealthy. The Minister of Safety and Security reportedly attributed the attacks to people who were not prepared to forget the "apartheid era" (ibid.). The bombers had reportedly telephoned the South African Broadcasting Corporation demanding the removal of Indians from parliament on the grounds that they were not indigenous Africans (ibid.). President Nelson Mandela reportedly condemned the attacks and pledged to deal harshly with the bomb attackers (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
India Abroad. 17 January 1997. Vol. 27, No. 16. M. Subramoney. "Attacks on Indians Said to be Growing." (The Ethnic News Watch /NEXIS).
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]. Weekly
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [London]. Monthly.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996. 1997.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports. 1996.
Human Rights Watch World Report. 1996, 1997.
Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. 1996-1997.
New African [London]. Monthly.
West Africa [London]. 1996. Weekly.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, World News Connection (WNC).
