Lessons for South Africa: How Zambia Prevented Xenophobia

The author reflects on Zambia's historical support for Southern African liberation movements and its use of a compulsory 'Civics' curriculum to pre-empt xenophobia from childhood. The text suggests that South Africa lacks a similar educational mechanism to teach citizens about the role other African countries played in its struggle, which contributes to recurring xenophobic violence. It recommends the creation of a Presidential Working Group on Xenophobia and calls for prominent African executives in South Africa to be more open about their origins to combat negative perceptions.

• Zambia pre-empted xenophobia by introducing a compulsory subject called Civics in all public and private schools starting from Grade 4, which taught children about regional history, racism in South Africa, and the reasons why refugees sought shelter in Zambia.
• Zambia made significant material and strategic sacrifices to support the freedom struggle after its 1964 independence, including providing scholarships to freedom fighters who at one point made up 25% of the University of Zambia's intake, offering free medical care and housing, and constructing the TAZARA railway line with China for USD$500 million to avoid trade through Rhodesia and South Africa.
• The author identifies a critical gap in South Africa's school curricula regarding the role other African countries played in the struggle against apartheid, noting that without such education, this history will disappear once the current generation of exiles is gone.
• Failure to address xenophobia in South Africa could lead to negative consequences, including increased complexity for the expansion of South African companies across the continent, a loss of prestige in foreign policy, and a weakened position in discussions to reform the UN Security Council Permanent Members.

APA

Nkama, I. (2015). Lessons for South Africa: How Zambia Prevented Xenophobia. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/research/lessons-for-south-africa-how-zambia-prevented-xenophobia/

Chicago

Nkama, Isaac. Lessons for South Africa: How Zambia Prevented Xenophobia. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/research/lessons-for-south-africa-how-zambia-prevented-xenophobia/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nkama |first1=Isaac |title=Lessons for South Africa: How Zambia Prevented Xenophobia |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=22 April 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/lessons-for-south-africa-how-zambia-prevented-xenophobia/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nkama2015lessons, author = {Nkama, Isaac}, title = {{Lessons for South Africa: How Zambia Prevented Xenophobia}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/lessons-for-south-africa-how-zambia-prevented-xenophobia/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }