Xenophobic Attacks in SA

I’ve been watching the news on SABC every couple of nights with my host mother. Thousands of Zimbabwean refugees have fled their country to reach South Africa. They have put pressure on the South African natives that are living in poor, informal settlements outside of Joburg. Government services have been lacking for many years, and I think these refugees fleeing Mugabe are merely the tipping point of this long-standing problem. The violence has spread to Capetown.

At first, when they said that “foreigners” were being looted, raped, and mugged, I thought they were attacking the Asians. Indians (which, to black Africans, includes Bangladeshis, Middle Easterners, and anyone else who looks like lindia) and Chinese (same deal), trigger a response of fear and resentment. But I was wrong. They are attacking mostly Zimbabweans, Mozambiqueans, Somalis, Nigerians, black Africans who don’t hold citizenships. They are making them show their ID cards.

My host mother lamented, “The Boers… they are laughing at us.” She meant that South Africa just got out of the apartheid era where the white Afrikaners made nonwhites carry pass cards, but now the black South Africans were implementing similar practices and discrimination. A few days ago on the news, two black South Africans were “accidentally” killed because the rioters thought they were foreigners.

Some rioters are saying “they take our jobs, our money, and our girlfriends”. Ok, wow. I told my host family that some Americans unfortunately have similar sentiments about Mexicans.

I just finished reading Malcom X’s autobiography. Particularly interesting is his commentary on the visit to Africa, and his glowing description of pan-Africanism. I don't know if it will work (but there's a time and a place for ideals). It’s human nature. People need a common enemy. If it’s not the whites keeping us down, it’s the Asians. If it’s not the Asians, it’s the Nigerians or Mocambiquans. The only way we can unite as humans is if aliens attack. Like “Independence Day.” I hope the people in the informal settlements are doing ok by now. (Plus, if the attacks spread I might have trouble getting back to Jozi airport. I'm not too worried about that though -- the settlements aren't on the route). They have probably suffered enough already without having to be attacked. Some of the refugees have gone back to their home countries. As of today, President Thabo Mbeki hasn’t said a word about this national embarrassment. His rival, Zuma, has made a few comments.