Over the last week, the issues of xenophobia surfacing from South Africa are quite disturbing. Xenophobia is a hate crime against foreigners who risk being lynched, skinned or burnt alive as a message for them to leave.
This development is quite unfortunate in that the xenophobia only targets black African people, hence the coined term Afrophobia. The perpetrators just target blacks. The rage is triggered by allegations of these foreigners taking away jobs and other opportunities. It is quite unfortunate in that any job is offered through a willing employer and willing employee basis. Moreover, skills matter. And Zimbabwean people are there due to desperate conditions in a Zimbabwe where the government has forgotten to serve the people as the economy is collapsing.
Then the other disturbing issue is that two decades ago, the people of Zimbabwe were in solidarity with South Africa up until she earned her independence. There was so much support for apartheid to be eradicated from South Africa. Some infrastructure in Harare was damaged through bombings and some people of Zimbabwe even perished for the South African cause. A few decades later, Zimbabwean people are the most hated and must be killed. How times change!
Then it is also unfortunate that Jacob Zuma and his son as well as King Zwelithini seem to be the catalysts to the agenda. It’s either the vocalist Zwelithini and Zuma ‘ s son screaming for foreign people to be targeted or President Zuma going mellow on the issue. That means he condones it because his reasoning that the police is overstretched on resources and that he cannot guarantee safety of foreigners is offending to any reasonable mind.
Then President Mugabe, as head of the Africa Union and of the targeted people, decides to look the other way. He is embarassed that he has caused so much suffering to the people of Zimbabwe who are escaping from home to find life in South Africa. His silence is a disgrace also given that the problem began when he was in South Africa on a state visit. He remained mum and pretended all was well. That means his Africa Union leadership is just a worthless title for social prestige. Then SADC gets exposed too. It’s nowhere to be found and yet it takes keen interest in discussing hypothetical scenarios in absence of real issues. Here is a real problem and no one is on the scene. How saddening!
Before this xenophobia denigrates into a genocide, Jacob Zuma should act in a practical way as a leader. Robert Mugabe should also demonstrate maturity and wisdom as he makes moves to save lives of his people. Lastly, the SADC and the AU should be seen to be taking real action for once as a way to restore the confidence of the affected families and the International community. To date the AU and SADC stand accused of being paper theorists that operate from high office towers where resolutions reached lack connection or relevance to the troubled African communities.
Xenophobia should be condemned as some form of terrorism. The South African government should stop it before it degenerates into some genocide. No one deserves to die. Every life matters. It’s also a shame when black people turn against each other. The world looks and wonders on such barbarism as instigated by the inertia of those in office.
This development is quite unfortunate in that the xenophobia only targets black African people, hence the coined term Afrophobia. The perpetrators just target blacks. The rage is triggered by allegations of these foreigners taking away jobs and other opportunities. It is quite unfortunate in that any job is offered through a willing employer and willing employee basis. Moreover, skills matter. And Zimbabwean people are there due to desperate conditions in a Zimbabwe where the government has forgotten to serve the people as the economy is collapsing.
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| Zuma Exposed as The Chief Catalyst. |
Then it is also unfortunate that Jacob Zuma and his son as well as King Zwelithini seem to be the catalysts to the agenda. It’s either the vocalist Zwelithini and Zuma ‘ s son screaming for foreign people to be targeted or President Zuma going mellow on the issue. That means he condones it because his reasoning that the police is overstretched on resources and that he cannot guarantee safety of foreigners is offending to any reasonable mind.
Then President Mugabe, as head of the Africa Union and of the targeted people, decides to look the other way. He is embarassed that he has caused so much suffering to the people of Zimbabwe who are escaping from home to find life in South Africa. His silence is a disgrace also given that the problem began when he was in South Africa on a state visit. He remained mum and pretended all was well. That means his Africa Union leadership is just a worthless title for social prestige. Then SADC gets exposed too. It’s nowhere to be found and yet it takes keen interest in discussing hypothetical scenarios in absence of real issues. Here is a real problem and no one is on the scene. How saddening!
Before this xenophobia denigrates into a genocide, Jacob Zuma should act in a practical way as a leader. Robert Mugabe should also demonstrate maturity and wisdom as he makes moves to save lives of his people. Lastly, the SADC and the AU should be seen to be taking real action for once as a way to restore the confidence of the affected families and the International community. To date the AU and SADC stand accused of being paper theorists that operate from high office towers where resolutions reached lack connection or relevance to the troubled African communities.
Xenophobia should be condemned as some form of terrorism. The South African government should stop it before it degenerates into some genocide. No one deserves to die. Every life matters. It’s also a shame when black people turn against each other. The world looks and wonders on such barbarism as instigated by the inertia of those in office.
