Kali Moeketsi
Political Science and Administrative Studies, National University of Lesotho, Maseru, Lesotho.
SN Soc Sci. 2023;3(2):28. doi: 10.1007/s43545-023-00613-x. Epub 2023 Jan 18.
Social protests can be devastating since they can cause economic setbacks and the loss of life. However, despite their detrimental effects, they are commonplace in Southern Africa. From 2020 to 2021, Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa experienced protests. As such, this study relies on content analysis and primary and secondary data to investigate their root causes. It builds on the frustration-aggression theory to reason that it is the primary explanatory factor for protests in the Southern African countries. This study found that protesters manifested their frustrations through aggression which was revealed when they torched stores, burned property and looted. The unemployment and poverty levels in the countries mentioned above brewed frustrations which culminated in aggressive behaviour that adversely affected businesses. The protests aggravated the already ailing economies when disrupting business transactions in Eswatini and South Africa in particular. Therefore, this study recommends ways of avoiding social protests and their consequences.
社会抗议活动可能具有毁灭性，因为它们会导致经济挫折和人员伤亡。然而，尽管有这些不利影响，但在南部非洲却很常见。2020年至2021年期间，莱索托、斯威士兰和南非都经历了抗议活动。因此，本研究依靠内容分析以及一手和二手数据来调查其根源。它基于挫折-攻击理论进行推理，认为这是南部非洲国家抗议活动的主要解释因素。本研究发现，抗议者通过攻击行为来表达他们的不满，这体现在他们焚烧商店、破坏财产和抢劫时。上述国家的失业和贫困水平滋生了不满情绪，最终导致了对企业产生不利影响的攻击性行为。这些抗议活动尤其在斯威士兰和南非扰乱商业交易时，加剧了本就疲软的经济。因此，本研究提出了避免社会抗议活动及其后果的方法。
