According to the latest figures, 56 people have died and 650 have been injured. But it is not only "foreigners" who have been attacked. It seems like tensions between different ethnic groups have risen too. Some of those attacked were born here in South Africa and belong to the Zulu, Tsonga and Sotho tribes. Thus the attacks have gone beyond those driven by xenophobia.

Not only do people from many Senegalese ethnic groups co-exist in Dakar, and in its ghettos, we also have representatives from ethnic groups of the bordering countries, many of whom are working migrants.

Different tribes mingling

The Shona constitute over 80% of the ghetto population, followed by the Ndebele (about 10%). Thus Shona is the widely spoken language in Harares ghettos, and it is the force behind ghetto lingo and culture.

Victor “Da’vik” Hlongwane is another young entrepreneur from Mzimhlophe, Soweto. He is the owner and founder of Da’vikta Records. He started his record label because, as a struggling artist from a ghetto, he found it difficult to get a record deal with a big or established label. Da’vikta Records was started, not just for his own music, but also for the music of other artists from ghettos.