A republic of vigilantes parading as voters
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South Africa has a history of allowing violence to be used as a tool for social and political power. This pattern spans from death squads during the apartheid era to current xenophobic attacks. The country has repeatedly permitted vigilantism to operate alongside the voting process.
From apartheid-era death squads to present-day xenophobic attacks, South Africa has repeatedly allowed violence and vigilantism to become instruments of political and social power.