When it comes to jobs, charity begins at home

There is bound to be anger in various quarters about the announcement this week that the ANC is set to impose quotas on the employment of foreigners by South African-owned businesses.

There will be those who use the ANC stance to justify discrimination against foreigners or even attacks on outsiders, which is clearly not the intention of the ruling party.

The violence of xenophobia is one of the evil facets of our society and cannot be condoned or encouraged.

Yet we do need to have a realistic discussion about employment, especially as our economy battles and more than 10 000 jobs are about to be shed in the retail and mining sectors.

The reality is that the vast majority of foreign nationals who flee to South Africa are economic refugees, seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

At the same time, though, South Africans are also struggling for a better life. It is also true that South Africans are often not interested in exploitative jobs foreigners are forced to take to survive, often because they are illegally in the country.

Overall, though, South Africa is still an alluring prospect for people who come from countries where misrule has destroyed economies.

And, while our border control and immigration policies remain weak and ineffective, there will continue to be competition for scarce resources inside this country – of which jobs is just one – which means more effective control over employment does seem a logical step for the government to take.

Controlling the number of foreigners allowed to be employed is one way of managing immigration by making the jobs market appear less attractive.

Is it xenophobic or too nationalistic to ask that, when it comes to the vital matter of jobs, charity begins at home?