South Africa's misguided war with foreigners

Obama…show us the way beyond freedom…

South Africa is plagued by sporadic incidents of violence against foreign nationals, particularly those from Africa, at the moment.

This is unfortunate. South Africa is regarded as a ‘miracle’, since there was not civil unrest after April 1994. The world perceives South Africans as mature when it comes to conflict resolution and when matters of race besiege the inhabitants.

South Africans have lived with foreign nationals for a long time, and the existence was peaceful. Even after 1994 the existence was peaceful. This xenophobic behaviour is a new phenomenon. The problem here is not about the foreigners; but against the SA government and foreigners from Africa themselves. 

Let me start by saying that African head of states must start making conditions conducive to live in in their country. They must improve economic conditions and make life habitable. Provide a better health care and provide opportunities for good business. They should also discourage civil unrest and wars and take steps to eradicate poverty. Political instability must be ended and senseless persecutions against opponents stopped.

That will encourage these people who are in South Africa at the moment to return home and help in the growth of their countries.

Here in South Africa the government has no clue on how to treat Africans who want to enter the country. The border is too wide open for whoever wants to come in; there is no control. These foreigners end up taking up the resources meant for the bona fide inhabitants.

In 2008 in Ramaphosa settlement Germiston foreigners boasted about how they own RDP houses, how they have jobs and money to woo South African ladies. South African men did not take kindly to this and tempers flared. Some foreigners allege that the education here is inferior, something that do not sit well with people in SA.

South Africans have a right to feel aggrieved when their government does not listen to them. But they have no right to burn property that belongs to foreign people, nor do they have the right to maim and kill them.

That is why a call goes out to esteemed presidents and leaders of the world to help JG Zuma in this regard.