Xenophobia: the menace to South Africa.

I have plenty of words but none can express my sadness right now. In fact, l have run out of tears for all the senseless killings, to watch a video of a 14-year-old boy being stoned and burnt alive! and his only crime is for being a foreigner. When is black on black crime going to stop? This is not only endemic to South Africa, It’s prevalent in America and also in the United Kingdom. The world knew there was going to be trouble when they started stoning the statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

So what would make a person turn against his own neighbour in such a rancorous manner? Is it a case of ‘a hungry man being an angry person? No, this is way passed a conscience attack of poverty; it is psychological and endogenous depression.

These people are not just killing, they are overkilling with lethal hatred. The inhumane and gruesome way of killing is so grandiose that one can only conclude that what is eating them up is more than ‘foreigners taking their jobs’, or an irresponsible comment made by the Zulu King/leader. It is said in my local language that “ohohuo ahunya y3 okromani ya”. To wit: 'the indigenous people of a land cannot bear the thought of a foreigner prospering over them.'

Is it really xenophobia?

Xeno-Phobia consists of two words ‘Xeno’ and ‘Phobia’. A simple google definition will bring up the meaning as ‘Xeno’ - relating to a foreigner and ‘Phobia’ - an irrational fear of something. So xenophobia per this definition simply means ‘fear of foreigners’. So the question now is, if xenophobia is perceived as a fear of foreigners, then, are ‘Black Africans’ the only foreigners in South Africa? If no, then what about the other foreign nationals? i.e., Europeans, Indians, Chinese etc? So why then are only black Africans singled out?

What is happening in South Africa (SA) is nothing short of a ‘black-on-black-crime. The right terminology, therefore, should be ‘Afro-phobia’. It is an extreme hatred for self/one’s own skin colour.

The act of ‘slaughtering’ fellow black nationals to leave one’s country was also witnessed in 1983 when Ghanaians were brutally driven out from Nigeria – which generated the popular parlance “Ghana Must Go". Nigerians and Ghanaians, however, have since made their peace. 

Prejudice or Criminality?

The world has become a global village. We are all connected now more than before; especially, with the advent of the internet. No country is an island. We all need each other. There is a foreigner in every country, and it has often been argued that the wealth of most countries are built on the sweat of foreigners. South Africa earns millions from their businesses situated in most African countries; notably, Shoprite, MTN, Game, DSTV etc. So why can’t other Africans also set up businesses in their country?

When black South Africans were colonised by white Europeans and viciously brutalised; who came to their aid to contribute their voices and resources to end apartheid? It was foreigners from all over the world; and fellow Africans in particular. What happened to the philosophy of humanity towards other humans? The spirit of ‘UBUNTU’ - I am because we are?

How do other African nationals gain entry into South Africa? Who issues them with visas? Who rent their rooms/houses/shops to them? Who gives them a permit to operate their businesses? And who do they pay their taxes to? If the answer to the aforementioned is the indigenous South African, why then turn around and slaughter them like animals. This is the reason some maintain that perhaps ‘freedom came too early for the black South African’.

Apartheid ended in 1994; and between then and now, what has the average black South African done to develop themselves? Most of these African nationals who are being butchered and set on fire for ‘stealing’ their jobs are self-employed - operating shops and running their own small businesses. So how can a self-employed person take your job? It is only in South Africa that an unskilled labourer believes that an immigrant, who is a neurosurgeon, has taken his job.

Why loot and steal from foreigners if you want them out of your country? What happens to their businesses and properties left behind after their departure? Who takes them? This is just a calculated ploy of scoundrels and lazy criminals parading as nationalist.

Misplaced Priorities

So, after killing and chasing out other African nationals from SA, does that automatically put an end to their financial hardships? Do they grace the front cover of Forbes magazine among the 100 rich people in the world? Do they suddenly become instant CEO’s, and business owners?

Are other black nationals the root cause of their economic crises? Who actually controls the wealth in SA? blacks, whites or African immigrants? Evidence shows that over 80% of SA’s economy and wealth are largely controlled by white South Africans – and they are less than 10% of the entire population. So their anger and outrage - justified or not, is totally misplaced. They have one enemy and one enemy only – and that is poverty: both of the mind and in their finances.

Opportunities

It is said that conflicts usually trace their root to social injustices and inequalities. There must be an enabling environment to provide equal opportunity for all in South Africa - to help create parity and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. In this respect, l must highlight that the SA leaders have failed their people - big time. But having said that, there have also been opportunities created for the black community in South Africa - in terms of training and scholarship schemes. It is obvious that most of the youth have not maximised the opportunities given to them.

Moving Forward

It is often said that ‘hurt people hurt people’ – it is obvious that all the years of apartheid and oppression have impacted on a section of South Africans. As the popular quote states “If You Don't Heal What Hurt You, You Will Bleed On People Who Didn't Cut You”. The first road to recovery and reconciliation is education and psychological counselling – and this must start right from the nursery schools. Nelson Mandela aptly captured this when he stated that “…if people can learn to hate, they can also be taught to love”.

The individual

Admittedly, there are a lot of challenges and barriers faced by the average South African black youth to break out of the cycle of poverty – similarly, there are also opportunities that one can embrace to their advantage. There are a rising number of young black entrepreneurs emerging from the black community in SA who have excelled in legitimate businesses. So if others can navigate around the challenges and take advantage of the limited opportunities, what is the excuse for the rest?

They have to rise above the inferiority complex mentality; and as Bob Marley said in his Redemption Song, they must “Emancipate themselves from mental slavery, because none but themselves can free their minds’.

Globally, there are certain benefits and entitlements that only citizens of its member countries enjoy that is not available to foreigners. Thus, companies will not overlook its indigenous working force to employ foreigners if they are qualified with the requisite skills needed for today’s market. Immigrant are usually offered jobs that citizens are either not qualified for, or are unwilling to take. There is dignity in working – hard work pays.

The SA government

The government must do more to curb this ‘epidemic once and for all. The blatant impudence the perpetrators openly exhibits to slaughter their fellow human beings may be because they know they can get away with it. The SA government must, therefore, enact strict laws that will severely punish anyone caught in this disdain act – and must also see to it that the laws are fully implemented. This, hopefully, will deter others from following suit.

African Union - AU

We haven’t finished assimilating the massacre of 147 innocent students in Kenya, and now this. Where is the African Union? Where are our African leaders? Why are they not going on unity march as they represented in Paris? There is a reason why the AU was set up – to promote peace, security, and trade among its member countries. The AU must not just be a ‘white elephant’ - they must sit up and issue sanctions against SA to force its government to find an antidote to this menace. The rest of Africa can also join Nigeria to boycott South African products and services. They must, in addition, close their embassies to send a strong message across - that ‘enough is enough’.

#SpeakOutAgainstXenophobia