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This research aims to analyse selected poems from the anthology, Collection of Poems by Kenneth Maswabi (2020), that deal with social stratification as a source of xenophobia. Postcolonial theory is selected and adopted for the purpose of analysis of the texts under study. The purpose of applying postcolonial theory is to appropriately contextualize the text while analyzing it from a postcolonial standpoint. To address the impact of xenophobia and its link to social stratification, three poems were chosen, studied, and analysed. The study took into account South Africa's historical context and linked it to contemporary developments in the country. David Mário Matsinhe's concept of citizenship is adopted from postcolonial theory. Matsinhe's concept of citizenship has been chosen because he contends that the struggle for citizenship and survival in South Africa, as well as anti-immigrant sentiments, has revitalized group interactions in postcolonial Africa, often with fatal repercussions. Hence, the historical antecedents have sparked xenophobic assaults in South Africa since they refer to the country's colonial past. This demonstrates that during colonialism's repression, people learned to build resistance to any type of foreign incursion, particularly from African immigrants. As a result of these attitudes, a schism developed between citizens and immigrants. Based on the findings of the study, xenophobia caused social stratification, as proven by the analysis of the chosen poems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attacks on African immigrants in South Africa have generated a lot of media attention both within and outside the country. This issue has not yet garnered enough critical attention in the field of literature, especially poetry. The purpose of this research is to analyse selected poems from Epiphanie Mukasano's collection Kilimanjaro on My Lap (2010) that discuss the hardships of African immigrants in South Africa. For the purposes of this study, this research uses migration theory. The research finds that racism and xenophobia are to blame for the country's immigration issues in the poems selected for the study. Asserting that the majority of immigrants are seeking protection due to upheaval in their home countries, Mukasano implores those who commit abhorrent acts of xenophobia and racism to have mercy on the immigrants. Consequently, Mukasano's answers to xenophobic assaults in the selected poems are addressed in this study. Mukasano makes an attempt to persuade the perpetrators of racism and xenophobia in South Africa that Pan-Africanism ought to be seen as a brotherhood rather than an enemy. Poems by Mukasano generally focus on the critical observation of people and their attitudes towards immigrants in general, regardless of their status, as well as the challenging consequences faced by black people. Protest poetry by Mukasano is vocal and engaged in challenging the status quo. Her tone, style, and use of poetic forms, which show how she gets her message across, show that she accomplished this successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]