South Africans have in the past always prided themselves on being gracious hosts to the many tourists and people from around the world who choose this country as their destination for a holiday, or even a place to live. Currently, however, we are witnessing an outbreak of xenophobic attacks on a scale unprecedented in our history. What has occasioned this mood swing, and how quickly can we treat the symptoms giving rise to it?
At the outset I wish to record that no matter what your views on foreigners or refugees living in South Africa are, there is no excuse for violence or breaking the laws of our country. Forget about the World Cup, the reason why you treat human beings with kindness and courtesy is because it is the right thing to do. Everyone who lives in this country has the right to the protection of our laws, irrespective of their citizenship. Do not disgrace yourself or your country with your conduct, regardless of your feelings on the subject.
Xenophobia, in this context, is the unreasonable fear or contempt of foreigners. It is a social issue which impacts on the overall wellbeing of society. In South Africa, where we have millions of legal and illegal foreigners living among us, the failure to deal with these people within the laws of the country will create an atmosphere of general lawlessnes.
Accordingly, any solution must be found within the spirit of our democracy, the constraints of the constitution, and the rule of law. To do so otherwise will create more problems than it will solve.
What is currently happening in Alexandra may be indicative of our failure to crack down on smaller outbreaks of xenophobia in the past, as well as a seemingly unrestricted flow of people into South Africa.
Atteridgeville and then the recent killings of Somalis proved symptomatic of the overall problem, and certainly brought this issue to our attention. A problem that had appeared sporadic and manageable in the past is now lingering with the true levels of resentment among our communities starting to be felt.
As many of you will be aware, prior to 1994 South Africa employed strict controls over immigration and targeted whites, rather than blacks, as potential applicants for citizenship. Apartheid at its worst and racism in its ugliest form.
After the birth of our multiracial democracy in 1994, the pendulum swung from tight restrictions to seemingly no control over the infux of foreigners flooding into the country. Among these were millions of refugees escaping the worst excesses of Africa’s tyrants and dictatorships.
I may be way off the mark, but I have been quoted a figure of around 10 million people being added to our number – an enormous burden on any economy.
Whatever the number, which isn’t going to just go away, South Africa now has to swing back towards the centre. By this, I mean adopting stricter controls while not being unreasonable in terms of granting asylum to those who genuinely reach out to us in their time of need.
This means assessing firstly how big our refugee and illegals problem is, setting a humane policy for dealing with their interim needs, while deciding on how best to place them. Are we to grant them citizenship, repatriate them without exposing them to real danger, or allow them temporary asylum here?
In addition setting stricter border controls in order to give substance to any existing or future policies relaing to immigration.
Immediate education of our citizens as to the plight of our refugees may go a long way to relieving the anger they feel at being deprived of essential services and basics while seemingly being overwhelmed by strangers. Without an explanation as to why they are here, and the direction we are heading to deal with the problem leaves residents embittered and insecure.
Where South Africans feel aggrieved is the price we are paying for the Zimbabweans as a result of our foreign policies. This is harm which has been self–inflicted, and has occasioned losses that will take decades to accurately quantify. It runs into the tens of billions of rands and is money we could have better spent elsewhere. This does not excuse acting like thugs and attacking these or any other people.
In addition, people are concerned about the levels of crime we are currently experiencing, partly as a result of playing host to these refugees. As any policeman will tell you, certain groups are known for the types of crimes with which they can be associated. Drugs or armed robbers for example, in the main, are found predominantly among certain groups. This is not to say South Africans are innocent, but rather that the figures are far more elevated than they might have been, as a result of the presence of illegals and refugees.
The anger therefore primarily arises out of overcrowding, loss of employment to foreigners — be it perceived or real — exaggerated crime levels and too few resources being chased by too many people.
The solution has to lie in first identifying the scale of the problem, assessing the resources available to deal with them, and thereafter setting the policies in accordance therewith. While this is being done, it is vital to enforce current policies strictly in terms of our police, courts and border controls.
Vital, as I said above, is educating our citizens as to why the refugees are here, what is being done to deal with the issue, and confirming in no uncertain terms that zero tolerance will be afforded to criminal acts arising out of xenophobia.
Citizens have the right to expect the government to protect the interests of all South Africans and those people who live among us, as well as the right to demand that the overall situation be dealt with in accordance with humane policies which must factor in economic realities.
The government has the right to expect us not to act like barbarians but rather as the gracious hosts we are known to be.
Let us not disappoint them or disgrace ourselves.
I certainly agree that calling savage and brutal murder and rape “xenophobia” is a clear symptom of just how some people have been desensitized by lawlessness. It is a measure of the value placed on human life and dignity.
More disturbing is the deafening silence of many of those whose voices were heard so loudly and clearly in the not too distant past regarding human rights abuses and discrimination issues.
It is the duty of government to protect the people who want to live law abiding lives. Instead, by turning a blind eye or even a partially blind eye to criminal activity, they are, in effect, indirectly condoning it, although they may not realize this. One would hope that they were sufficiently rational in their thinking to realize this.
Take heed: I think it was William Penn who said, “If you are not governed by God, then you will be governed by tyrants.” What every country needs, although they may not realize it, is a God-fearing government that sees the safety and protection of the law abiding people living in the land as their rsponsibility. Measures should be taken to apply the law vigorously in order to protect people from criminals. Instead, the trend nowadays is to be overly concerned about the rights of criminals. A criminal has broken the law. That is what makes him/her a criminal. So, if the criminal has broken the law, and caused another person to suffer, then why should that very same law that the criminal has shown contempt for be used to protect him/her? The same argument applies if I deliberately break the leg of a chair, and then expect that chair to support me when I sit in it. If I break the leg, deliberately, then I deserve to fall down when I try to sit in the chair, unless I first take the necessary measures to make good what I have broken, and acknowledge my error.
I think this is just a waste of time. People can thoerize and debate all they want, botom line is South African attidudes towards black immigrants will never change. Zimbabweans just have to realize its time to pack their bags, get up and go home. We need to direct our energy to removing Mugabe out of power, thats our only salvation, besides what are we doing in SA, we are not wanted there for goodness sake. Do you think South Africans care what good you did for them during apeitheid, they don’t give a hoot.
I qoute, “But the truth is, is that our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate, and they have not. So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”
Comment follows.
Having worked for an NGO dealing with refugees i was astounded by the nightmarish reality of a system that has failed South Africa and its invited guests.
Above and beyond intentionally illegal immigrants (A different problem), we have a large number of refugees who have attempted to legally participate in an asylum program offered to them by our own government.
Our government has however failed to support this initiative – refugees entering the country have to fight to register with the authorities (many line up and are turned away repetitively due to lacking organisational capacity to deal with them), have language barriers and no means to support themselves.
Simply put – our government lets them in and then abandons them, not even addressing basic human rights requirements.
Imagine trying to deal with the department of home affairs when you don’t speak the language and they don’t seem to want to help you.
Most refugees i have met are not thinking of their stay in SA as an opportunity to gain employment – most of them are generally traumatized by things we cant even imagine and simply want to be safe.
These legitimate refugees (sometimes technically illegal because our country is filled with egotistical yet incompetent people and their useless systems) should not be blamed.
If a government allows refugees asylum, it has the responsibility to manage them properly and with respect.
We need to look to the systems, the many governmental systems that are not working and acknowledge that they need to be fixed, and then fix them. The refugee problem we are currently facing is just another manifestation of this larger problem.
The main problem is black south africans have a superiority complex when it comes to where they stand amongst other black africans. Xenophobia in South Africa should not be described as “fear of foreigners” it should be defined as “black south africa’s hatred for the rest of black africa”. I don’t understand why white foreigners from Europe or America never face any heat from black south africans as opposed to the black africans who are always hounded. It does not matter whether you are in the townships or in sandton, whether you are rich or poor, as long as you are a black foreigner you will always experience the xenophobic hatred. The truth of matter is that alot of black africans who come here no what hard work is, they are go getters who make the most of their opportunities. While alot of black south africans especially in townships sit around drinking their problems away or complaing about lack of employment and not being innovative about solving their problems. Then they have the temerity to wonder why some of these foreigners are moving up and leaving them in gear one. For instance, look at some of the somalians who opened up shops in soweto and started making a decent life for themselves. If someone can come from a far away land and be innovative in how they survive, what more for a person who was born here. One of the biggest tragedies of apartheid is that it left the black population of south africa in perpetual protest mode. Instead of looking for solutions to solve problems of crime or unemployment they are always protesting. If the protesting does not work then they resort to violence like in Alex. If all black foriegners in this were to be kicked out of SA, how many teachers, nurses, doctors or accountants would be left. For those who don’t know SA faces a serious skills shortage because of the lack of vision from this government. Foreigners who are well trained from countries like ZIM and Zam help to aliviate some these shortages which are dire. Until someone shows me credible statistics that prove that the majority of criminal acts in this country are done by foreigners, that line of thinking to me is complete BS. The police have to show me the evidence before such sweeping generaliztions are made.
These attacks on Zimbabweans area long time incoming. For years business owners have employed Mozambiqcans and Zimbos before local South African people . For purely capitalist reasons I beleive. They were/are willing to work longer ,harder and smarter than Zulu boys and didn’t come with the unions and unfair dismissal isssues. And you could pay them less .
Now as times get harder the crunch has come .Its really economic warfare by another name.
Crime is perpetrated by all sectors of society be it the white’s indulging in tax fraud,dealing in stolen scrap metal , blacks hauzering or raping or blowing up ATM’s or anyone else who drives around without a numberplate. Its just easy to blame Zimbabweans instead of everybody else.
However a strong message should have been sent long ago – this is OUR land not yours . If you want to come here obey the law or face punishment be it individually or collectivly.
This is all really the fault of government for not protecting our borders , enforcing the law and through their total lethargy and cowardice in failing to deal with the ZANUPF dictatorship.
As for the so called Xenophobes , they are fine in my books as they are merely doing in a more drastic and desperate manner what government should have done long ago.
You talking to the wrong crowd, the violence against immigrants is mainly done by poor, uneducated, unemployed South Africans.
I blame the ANC for this. They knew there was a crisis years ago and what did they do? Nothing. Mark my words their usual bullshit of blaming someone else will be the order of the day. Ever noticed how they never take responsibility for any of their own inactions. The ANC no longer represents the people, they are a party of posers of bourgeoisie wanna be’s. Well Mr Mbeki now that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe I suppose by your standards there is no crisis in Alex, just a few people dying. The ANC is a disgrace. They should spend less time singing and shooting their members and more time doing their jobs. Otherwise they too will be replaced by more skilled foreign workers
der sir… I thought the apartheid system is gon.
ouer big btother said ,( ADOLF )history repeat
it self!!! yours gunter
@Lyndall
He was the head of the moral regeneration thingy. Maybe since he’s scoring points with everyone he can reawaken it. its about time the ANC starts doing something for the ppl.
What strikes me though is that i haven’t seen Thabo say anything about this. Vavi is beating him to the mark again. No wonder the masses are starting to bay for his blood. too far removed from terra firma(no spellcheck)
the mushrooming xenophobic tendencies in our country raises some serious concerns. the unreasonable hatred and fear of foreigners in our country undermines the the spirit of ubuntu, a rich moral fibre that has been a crucial part of our south african society.these xenophobic tendencies, not only undermine our attempts and strides towards a truly emancipated and unified africa, an africa that is in peace with itself. but they also perpertuate the entrenched culture of violence and vicious circle of violence that have come to be part of our daily lives.It is of note that,ours is a country traumatized by high violent crime levels, so we dont need this, not now, not in the near future.
In addition the recent xenophobic incidents in Alexandra, Attredgeville and Mamelodi point to one direction, that of the dearth of morality in our society. what morality teaches us is that, we need to take other people`s interests into consideration when making decisions or taking any actions,in other words, do not harm others.It is a sad reality that our societal institutions (families, schools and churches) are steadily but surely, becoming morally arid themselves. The ‘abrasive forces’ [politics and economics] around them have limited their capacity to reinforce and nurture societies founded on resolute principles of morality. By virtue of these ‘abrasive forces’ their efforts to ensconce societies that are founded on rich moral values become futile. with this absence of morality in our communities,people not being able to distinguish between right and wrong any more, it is clear that we are following a route to an abyss .
Silence of our leaders in these trying and tesing times is much more worrying.Instead of using their power and authority to reinstate morality in our societies, our leaders bombard us with empty rhetorics and use people’s interests and grievances as political hot potatoes. What has become an issue of concern is that, our leaders, who are also moraly bankrupt, fail to provide leadership and way forward on how to deal with these burgeoning tendencies
AT LAST! Sensible debate without racism, egoism, blame game and one upmanship. I have been blogging for some time as… old, female, pale face.
I feel it is time to stand up and be counted. No more aliases.
I am thoroughly sick and tired of the mismanagement, downright destruction of the UNITED country of 1994.
It held so much promise.
The rot always starts with the head, not the tail.
Mbeki has deceived and betrayed not only South Africa – but the rest of the misnamed African Renaissance believers.
He hid his sadistic character behind a facade of “intellectualism.” It has crumbled.
The townships are revolting and I am behind them. They have been betrayed by a traitor to their beliefs.
The immigrants who are providing needed skills -
we do need them to function…. leave alone!
The rest should be housed, fed and cared for as REFUGEES fleeing political persecution. Not thrown to the wolves and their own resources.
They have none. If they commit crimes – why not – how else can they survive?
If South Africans do not want this invasion of their scare resources – get rid of them.
Expose the government to face the wrath of the International World at its gross neglect and ultimate cruelty to its population and desperate people.
The citizens born and bred are not the baddies.
The ANC leadership as a whole – are criminals.
Where is a black leader who really cares for his people? I do mean, “really cares.”
Stand up – get out there. Elections are down the road.
Stand as an Independent – for the people, and hopefully the majority will not go on committing suicide by their stupid loyalty to a party that has become diseased. It has become rotten at the head and at its leadership level.
Come on – do your bit. Spread the message.
All it takes is one person, with one step, to change destiny. Start and new party of real compassion.
You got rid of the Nats – repeat your success.
Find a new MANDELA that the rainbow nation will embrace.
Good luck – it will take time. I am just too old to see it blossom and bear fruit. It can, and it will. Find solutions not who to blame.
We know who caused this tsunami.
I suggest you visit this article on IOL.co.za website.
Max has given an excellent summary of the failure of our prez.
It is now in the hands of the majority to demand more from the leaders they trust.
Mbeki – no friends left
Max du Preez
May 15 2008 at 10:26AM
I agree with you Michael, but it also seems that we as South African’s have a very short memory as some of the African countries that are going through turmoil e.g. Zim are the same countries that we found refuge in when we were going through apartheid. I am really saddened by the state of Xenophobia in this country. I also think that South African’s need to stop blaming our neighbours for everything that goes wrong in this country. Great Article!
@Sam
You’re right. It’s the poor uneducated people. It’s always been like this, in SA and everywhere. They are easier to “maneuvre” (and cheaper).
@Lindi (and all others)
I just hope this Alexandra thing wasn’t cooked by some “dark profiled politician” (be him either South African or Zimbabwean)… As you see, it suits many, if immigrants start thinking twice if they wanna come into SA. And those who already are here, they start weighting pro’s & con’s on going back home.
It is disturbing to note that in all incidents of Xenophobic attacks in this country, the perpetrators have been the poor people that live on the fringes of the first economy. To them, foreigners have become a convenient scapegoat to blame for everything from crime, joblessness and the weather. But ignorance feeds on the ignorant, blinded by hate, the perpetrators of these heinous crimes have shown themselves to be more evil than the evil they seek to eliminate by driving out foreigners.
Its important to realise as well that there is a bigger picture to this, South Africa is paying a heavy price for a lame foreign policy and for decision making that mischiveously evades reality. So long as there is a lack of willingness to admit that Zimbabwe is burning and blemishing her neighbours, refugees-economical and political- will continously make the great trek down south, and attacks such as the ones in Diepsloot and Alexandria will continue.
What the people of Alex did to the Zims is totally inhuman…I total condemn such behaviour. they say do unto others as we wish them unto you…. but at the same time look at the situation in Alex, I’ve been to Alex twice in my life and never seen such a mess in my life.the place it is just too congested, there is not even a place to drive/walk and even space for kids to play in the yards cause you find that in 1 yard there’s 15-20 people sharing the place.our Government is not helping the situation at all by giving them house that actually belongs to our people.
Some of us are from the disadvantaged background and we cannot be blamed for that.there’s corrupt Government officials who are actually helping these foreigners to take over what is supposed to be done by our brother abd sister (taking bribery for registering foreigners – home affairs / issuing of tenders – municipalities always get bribes / registering businesses with the DTI-same thing happens). Where is our people supposed to get all the monies to bribe for all these.
We are also quick to say that there’s places like Umsobomvu/ GEP and the others… yet we are 4getting that the very same instituitions are not very helpfull towards our society. how many people do you know of have benefitted from these organisations? These people who has completed matric & are trying all their best to do something with their lifes, but cannot get help from even our government… they always ask for things that they know are just impossible for our disadvantage people.
Bathong, please…let us just for once be realisitc with ourselves…OUR GOVERNMENT IS The problem in this country…the sooner they pull up their socks the better.
In the spirit of Ubuntu… I hope and pray that our society have mercy on the souls of people they are busy breaking.
Keep well.
When you have bands singing kwere kwere and nothing is done to stop it.
I came to South-Africa in 90s
We were the first black family to buy a house in the white suburb of Kensington.
It took us a year to talk friendly with our white neighbours.
At that time in the 90s, for black south-Africans if you were talking to them in English, they tought that you were trying to be clever.
I remember taking a taxi bus to Pretoria and asking the driver to drop me in English, he did not stop.
I had to use my African language and when we could not understand each other we switched to English.
i met black south african who could speak Shwahili better than me and telling me that they belong to Umkhonto.
It is a shame that the situation went out of control in Alex…
I think that the government has to take it seriously and deal with it
According to the World CIA Factbook South Africa’s population is shrinking (despite the influx of immigrants). This is due in large part to the over 1000 daily AIDS deaths and the exodus of skills to foreigns shores.
I predict that uncontrolled migrations will become one of the big problems of the future, in centres like the Uk, USA, Frace, Korea and here in SA, in Africa.
Eish this subject; I am not comfortable dealing with it because it involves human immotions. It makes me sob with deeper emotions.
Firstly South African have every reason to be angry and the Zimbabwean being the main source of the problem have no idea how to go about this issue. Being a Zimbabwean I have put myself in South Africans shoes and asked myself why? Instead of being brothers we are suddenly worst enemies. Are the South Africans being unreasonable? Is it a case of criminalminded people driving mobs so that they can steal from helpless foreigners?. My big question is why does this always happen towards elections in Zimbabwe and Zimbabweans are the main target? I have only one answer to that, others can give other answers. This situation is politically driven.
Sometime ago around 1999 to about year 2000 this thing started as an MDC project to put pressure on government. MDC wanted their claims of human rights violation by the current regime sound real. They started coorditing with some organisation to recruit people who will claim there were beaten and flee the country and speak out against their gorvernment. Invented video footagees and people being beaten were splashed on western media led by the South African one which acted as a feeder to other news agencies.
First it was those who were paid who left the country who wiil later come driving posh cars and build big houses and the later genuine people with hope of greener pastures followed.
Unknwn to people who followed was the fact that the first group, because it was being funded were able to buy cars, houses and renovate their houses back home. There were going around bragging about how good is it to be a diasporan so as to attract more people for their project.
The project started well as people flocked out of their counrty in numbers assisted by their so called ‘Omalayisha’( Human Traffickers) to be precise. this triggered people to flee their country in search of greener pastures and better life.
Now when these people were in South Africa or Britain there were told what to say in order to get assylum. If you are a Zimbabwean you mention hunger as the reason why you are South Africa or England you will definately catch the next bus home. SO people started telling lies about the situation back home in order to get asslum.They started claiming they were beaten by green bombers or Zanu PF militia there you are you get an assylum, some claimed there were being raped. This worked for MDC and for the western press. As a result Zimbabwe was slapped with so called ‘smart sunctions’ which really are not smart but are ‘evil sunctions.’
Therefore this thing went on and on until MDC deprived itself of voters. Because people who normal migrate were young ones between 20 and 35yrs. In this bracket you find most of them were MDC suppoters and would be voters.
Realizing that it had exiled most of it voters out MDC has now a new plan to get back its exiled voters back home.In collaboration with its hidden but clearly visable forces in South Africa are behind these ugly scenes you call xenophobia today, in order to drive back Zimbabweans back home to go and vote. This is why you find these violence taking place towards elections. This is why you fact people being targted are Zimbabweans yet there are millions of illegal foregners from other countries. There is a big hidden hand behind this and peple must stop blaming South African for things they don’t do. Zimbabweans are used as tools by MDC, Zimbabweans are the losers. Genuine South Africans don’t complain, they know our problem but they don’t know how it started. The South African mobs are being driven into commiting these crimes by its media which is being used in this political game, they are using South African emotions.
Ask me this question today, tomorrow or years to come i will give you the same answer MDC is behind Zimbabweans suffering it plays behind scenes thats why people can’t them but I do beacuse I know their father. Use a microscope you will see them because MDC is like a bacteria it makes you sick but you don’t know how becuase its invisible you can’t see its activities with the naked eye.
The ways of getting Mugabe out are hurting Zimbabweans why not drag these people onto the table so that they talk, we are tired of this stuation. South Africans are not our enemies why let us fight each other like that. Anyone who thinks I am telling lies must answer this question first; Why is it that Zimbabweans are the most targeted ones? Are they the only foregners in South Africa?.
I have told people before and will comtinue telling them;don’t play around with the media, there are in business, Zimbabweans must not play around with MDC they want to rule, I have not forgotten how MDC came into being. I don’t mind being ruled by MDC or a white man but MDC must stop using Zimbabweans this way in order to gain power thats evil.
Come clean MDC are you not the son of Rhodesia Front. Just say yes we will still support you and vote for you because your father is rich, he has got money, he has got connections with big fish in the world and lots of friends with money to deliver us from hunger and suffering.
Thanks Trapido for bringing this subject but its not a good subject to discuss, some of us who knows the truth are at pain to explain and we shade tears on how evil politics is.
I agree with Sam, you are talking to the wrong people. As ‘educated’ people, should we not be taking responsibility for not educating our fellow uneducated brothers and sisters? I hope goverment will sit up and take notice. I think the foreigners that are here to cause trouble like the infamous Nigerians in Joburg. they need to go, they should get beaten up. Poor innocent refugees, people that are running from danger at home needn’t be treated like this. I am extremly ashamed at the fact that it is black people, we come from a past of segregation, we should be the first ones to oppose this. Intervene Mbeki!!!,… he is probably out of the country as always…
Listening to the news at 7pm on SABC 2 on
I was struck by the difference of opinion from the people to President.
While some people feel that they are now in a struggle with foreigners for the same resources
and job opportunities,the Pres. was his usual
non-committal self
.
We cannot say, we must accommodate foreigners because they aided the freedom struggle in the past,because we face a far greater problem to
accommodate the number of foreigners than they
had.
Just imagine if 10 million people had left
South Africa in 1960, only 6 million would
have been left of which 50% would have been
Whites!!
I am making this post on the assumption that
the figure of 10 million foreigners is correct
to illustrate that we are facing an enormous
challenge for which we are ill-equipped.
The sooner the Zim problem is resolved the better
for us.
Thanks Michael
With your thought provoking articles, I hope you’re not forced to one day follow the route of David Bullard. We South Africans just do not seem to like intelligent debate.
As far as xenophobia as practiced in Alexandria and elsewhere is concerned and our government’s ueber-pathetic response via the Minister of Safety & Security, I am just not surprised that the culprits can get away with it. Jan Smuts at the extreme would have had them shot, and rightly so, irrespective of the merit of the excuses for commiting their terrible deeds.
The proponents of UBUNTU, like Tutu, should preach this so-called African way to their own black compatriots and not to minorities like the whites on this or any other country.
Huge mobs of 2000 to 5000, looting and raping and killing? Black-on-black? So, where’s all that ubuntu then, or was that just a myth?
Phillip, John, Jack, Melda
Well said
K and Hasta
You are missing the point. Our government refuses to admit the Zimbabweans are refugees – they pretend they are just migrant workers . If they admitted they were refugees – they would have to also admit that there is not “no crisis” in Zimbabwe, and that “quiet diplomacy” and “African solutions to African problems” have failed.
If they DID admit we had a refugee problem – a VAST sum of money would be available from the UN to help us support them, but that would not be an “African Solution” would it?
Jack Mufana
The “black foreigners” are seen as taking jobs away from the unskilled poor; the “white foreigners” are seen as creating jobs – that is why the difference in attitude.
Mandrake
I am also one of those that can’t find spellcheck – and not the only one. Can someone tell us all where it is?
Nick
Can you give us a link or a reference we can Google? My information is that the SA population is growing, despite Aids and emigration.
Vincent
I hope, for your sake if not for our sake,that you are well paid for what you do.
Traps. Spot on as always. However, I don’t believe that we must now suddenly bring out the marshmallows and sing “we are the world” around the proverbial fire. I believe that people who are not exposed to foreigners, can’t really form an objective opinion on the matter. Certainly the recent spate of attacks on foreigners are not justifiable and must be condemned, however if you’ve ever lived in Sunnyside, Hilbrow, or Arcadia you’ll understand where I’m coming from.
I believe the xenophobic attacks in Alexandria came about as a result of a culmination of issues ranging from the crime, drugs that some of these foreigners have brought to our shores. Not forgetting the sense of entitlement that South Africans exhibit when they see foreigners prosper, be it selling sweets, running a public phone or an internet café. Please don’t get me wrong I don’t hate foreigners but sometimes they can get a bit too much, there’s so many of them, and I might sound like I’m from Alex (I’m not) but these foreigners are everywhere.
Live and let live, but there’s too many of them. Some have argued that Zim gave South African exiles asylum in the apartheid era blah blah blah, but they didn’t give asylum to 3 million South Africans, did they??? Oranges and apples…
I welcome comments from all who want to crucify me because they feel I’m a tribalist. You don’t have to live amongst foreigners, their drug peddling and prostitution spreading. It’s reached a point whereby we live amongst foreigners, and not them living amongst us.
And no, we’re (black South Africans) not going to turn against white people…you’re also South Africans…
@ Lyndall: you can Google CIA World |Factbook South Africa (their stats were updated on May 1 2008
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.11 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.501% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17.71 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
22.7 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2008). 21.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.3 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS – deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
370,000 (2003 est.)
Busi said
Great article Michael – just forget the ignorant Lilly and Tman. By ignoring and making a mockery of the concerns of poor South Africans, you are perpetuating the situation in Alex. I wonder how people living in the SUBURBS will feel if the government decided to open up refugee camps next to their worthy houses? How would you feel if the government decided to bus all the Zimbabweans and other refugees to those endless parks you have in the SUBURBS – build them those RDP Flats? I bet you will be the 1st to say …”get these people out of here, they will bring crime to our areas, downgrade the value of our houses, etc” Let them stay in Alex – I hear you say?
I say
Busi I don’t think Tman or myself were making a mockery of poor SAfricans. But you need to understand that South Africans have a tendency to blame anyone and everyone for their problems instead of DOING something about it. There are so many ways in which black south africans can empower themselves. They DON’T have to resort to violence to prove or drive a point. It’s unacceptable and it’s against the law. It doesn’t matter WHO the victims are, it doesn’t make it right. NOONE here has ignored the plight of the poor south african. In fact, i think many people have been quite understanding. But that’s the problem. They’re NOT entitled to it! DO something for yourself BEFORE you cry foul.
@Lyndall thanks 4 reading my comments- No further comments
Nick
Thanks. Is there anything that breaks it up into regions? The contention being made is that the winefarms have higher statistics than the general population, which I dispute, but can’t prove or disprove.
Nick
Sorry! Realise you were giving stats on population growth, not Feotal Alcohol syndrome. Time for me to get some sleep – I am not functioning clearly!
My learned friend Mr. Trapido,
Surely, while you aspire to the lofty heights and aspirations of a Sud Afrikaan Rumpole, you have sunk to the lowest of the low of your espoused profession and surely you scrape the bottom of the barrel of pathos when you describe the “….outbreak of xenophobic attacks on a scale unprecedented in our history” rather than the racist and obnoxious attacks that they truly are.
As the “legal talking head” of that former proscribed terrorist organization, the A.N.C. whose favourite method of persuasion was to present an opponent with a necklace, one would suppose that is is your duty as a mere acolyte to prevaricate and as a beaming light of a “thought leader” you use your talents to completely negate these racist attacks on “foreigners” as mere xenophobia? One would suppose that you would well argue that the previous racist killings of Somalis were not racist, but merely tribalistic, because there is no such thing as “black on black” racism, nor are there any “black on white” racism as this is the sole domain of the white society against the blacks.
However your solution of educating the citizens as to the root cause of the problem, is of course somewhat laughable and simplistic and perhaps like Marie Antoinette, you can feed them cake rather than finding employment and decent living condition to buy the bread they want – maybe you can reflect on that as you trundle down the road in a brand new “beemer” to the guillotine for your close shave?
Perhaps if you did far better due diligence to uncover the root cause of why Mbeki does not cause any problems with his sisters husband to the north across the river is perhaps because of a joint ownership of some diamond mine shares – but maybe you already know that and cannot abuse the client privilege? You are not a Shaka – but a Dingane – you are not a lion, but a jackal feeding on a carcase of inhumanity
As many of the replies to date say quite loudly, many South Africans are still deeply divided along “tribal loyalties” and as Dennis said, ” We have swapped a white racist government for a black racist government. The future looks bleak….. AND unless you stop this racist nonsense the next thing will be attacks on indians, followed by whites – as is happening now on the “expropriated” farmlands down south. (just in case this small fact escaped you?)
However from amongst the many excellent responses to this problem lay the many vipers and asps that will reach out and strike you all down and yes indeed André Hattingh while the fish has started to rot from the head, the carrion eating vultures will soon be seen circling….
And in a brief summarization, the government has no right to expect their citizens not to act like barbarians, when they themselves, the government, like you, will ultimately legislate that into law….. that is where you earn your pay and lifestyle is it not?
i’m a musician living in belgium. just 2 weeks ago i would say with pride on stage that i am a south african. last night at my gig, i felt ashamed to mention that i was south african.
Okay. So we know (or think we know) the underlying causes as to why people went on the rampage through Alex and Jozi. That’s all very well and good but what do we do now?
I sit in my lounge in my little townhouse a relatively short drive down the N3 from Alexandra and I watch the news. I see a man set on fire, policemen and women running down streets shooting rubber bullets and tear gas canisters. Terrified people jam-packed into police stations with whatever they could carry. I am shocked at what I’m seeing. Violence doesn’t sit well with me, it never has, on any scale. But while I am outraged at what has happened, I still experience it abstractly. It hasn’t touched my life personally yet. None of the Zimbabweans I work with have been attacked. The Ghanaian husband of a friend is doing business as usual.
So how do we, who are not living where these attacks are taking place, help? It’s no good sitting back, blaming the government for it’s culpable stupidity and then expecting them to do something about it while we watch and criticise. They’ve demonstrated that they’re just not capable of doing it. What are the practical solutions for the ordinary South African? I’m asking this seriously because I have no idea myself.
@ Bryn:
Good question. How to be part of the solution when somehow we are part of the problem? The answer is:
1) Do your part to address poverty. Give food or money more often than not when people ask (at intersections, when you park your car). It is probably better to go to give into poor areas than to reinforce dependency, and having greater and greater numbers coming into your area in search of handouts. Make a friend and promise to pay R100 into their account each month. Ask them what they need and offer to help.
2) Hold our leaders responsible. Complain, whine, moan about crime, don’t stop talking, and maybe we can encourage people to start to do something about an unacceptable problem.
3) Try to underastand the problem. Speak to Zimbabweans and others and ask them what they think, and for their suggestions. Go and see for yourself what is happening, get off the couch. Take photos, write and talk and share what you see with those (family and friends) who are still at the couch stage.
Bryn
Donate to the Red Cross – unlike the government they DO know what they are doing.
The year was 1987, I was in Germany, in Koeln, for study reasons.
it was my first time to see so many nationalities in one place.
You name it, Iran, Brazil, Peru, Chile, former Yugoslavia, Erhytrea.
For my first lesson of German, the teacher asked us, where were we from.
One girl, she was white, said, I am from South-Africa, she was booed, I was the only one to take her defence.
Now, in 2008, violence between Africans..
As big that South-Africa is, it can’t sustend the level of immigration…
The Government is according to me efficient, it
has refreined the use of force to the police without calling in the Army.
What are the solution?
Did we not see ethnic killing in South-Africa, what was applied in order to stop it?
The African Ambassadors in South-Africa are going to meet tomorrow.
We are just helpless in front of violence.
My reaction would be to contact the Red Cross or any affiliation with the same ideology.
raising money for the non South-Africans that are now in churches and police stations