Fear and loathing in Johannesburg
According to yesterday’s headlines 42 people have died in a bizarre outbreak of xenophobic violence in South Africa. The word ‘outbreak’ is usually reserved for contagious diseases; but a quick look at how this violence has spread from Alexandra, to vario
It was a tough decision to take and we appreciate why government didn’t want to send the army in immediately. From this day forward it will take some time to determine whether a military presence will end the violence or simply escalate it. And like America discovered in Iraq, getting the troops back out of the townships is a tougher task than getting them there in the first place!
Call it what you like – violence is violence
What worried FAnews Online is the shape of the debate that took place while hundreds of foreigners were being beaten and chased out of their humble dwellings. Instead of condemning the xenophobic attacks (and we’ll stick with this terminology because the ‘race’ and ‘ethnic’ tags are too horrible to contemplate) government, the police and various journalists struggled with finding an appropriate label.
Imagine standing around watching a stranger burn while you decide whether the mob is busy with a xenophobic attack or rather engaging in some form of violent crime. One of our personal favourites came from a journalist who coined the phrase ‘opportunistic crime’. Call it whatever you want – violence is violence – and should not be tolerated.
A terrible reward for pitiful diplomacy
A great sadness is that South Africa is on the receiving end of yet another avoidable disaster. It’s always easy to comment with the benefit of hindsight. But it’s also impossible to pretend that Mbeki and government haven’t been repeatedly warned about a brewing problem. The immigration debate has been aired by numerous journalists in the print and broadcast media. We’ve had tension at South Africa’s porous borders with farmers stepping in to form their own border patrols to help the government deport a smattering of the thousands of Zimbabweans who enter the country illegally every day. Government’s response to this expose was to label the farmers ‘racist’ and threaten them with criminal prosecution.
The Department of Home Affairs has been repeatedly told to get its house in order. Yet centres set up to handle ‘illegal’ immigrants and refugees remain totally inadequate. Tensions are inevitable if you allow an entire continent free access to your resources – especially when there aren’t enough to extend generous social benefits to your own citizens. After numerous shocking eposes we actually wonder how many of the so-called ‘illegal’ immigrants already own South African identity documents. After all – a few hundred rand allegedly buys anything you need in terms of South African documentation.
But the real heart of the current problem is government’s refusal to acknowledge a political crisis in Zimbabwe. If Mbeki had done so in 2002, South Africa could have geared up for an influx of refugees. We could have budgeted for the mass flow of humanity from our northern neighbour. And we could have applied to the United Nations and other refugee agencies for assistance. Instead, Zimbabwean and other African nationals are crossing our border and immediately forced to integrate with South African society. Hats off to them – for the most part they’ve done so admirably.
You’ve only got yourself to blame
To the disenchanted youth that’s at the forefront of this appalling action we have the following to say. If you’re sitting without a job more than a decade into South Africa’s new democracy you only have yourself to blame. The foreigners aren’t taking YOUR jobs. They’re simply competing on unequal footing for the jobs you often don’t want to do.
It’s time to accept accountability for your actions and to realise that no-one owes you anything. You’re not unemployed because government won’t help you. You’re not unemployed because of Verwoerd and his draconian Apartheid policies. You’re not unemployed because every white person in South Africa is a racist… And believe it or you’re not unemployed because the West (not Blair, Bush or Brown) is against you. You are unemployed because you’ve neglected your education and refuse to take responsibility for your life.
In fact you’re part of a privileged section of society that enjoys legislative protection on the job market. A company has to hire you if you’re capable. So education is the only – and we mean ONLY – reason you’re unemployed. Take care of your education – put in the time and the effort – and there are thousands of vacant public-sector jobs with your name on them.
Editor’s thoughts:
As much as the ANC is tired of ‘whingeing’ whites we’re tired of a generation that won’t take accountability for its actions. South Africa is a land of opportunity with more to offer than anywhere else on the continent. Forget the ‘American’ dream and embrace the ‘African’ dream. Don’t resign yourself to your current situation! How do you suggest we encourage accountability in our democracy? Send your comments to [email protected], or add them below.
