What?! What is all the rubbish that I hear? My ears must be deceiving me, though it has never once failed me. South Africans, what did we do to you? Why the racism against your very own brothers and sisters? This news indeed is very sad. It is heart breaking. What wrong could they have done by seeking asylum in your country? Is this xenophobia or hate for the black race, I wonder?
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| South Africa bleeds |
The map looks crooked? Maybe that is what will become of Africa if we continue like this. We speak of being one great African nation. is that even a realistic dream? Is it possible? Citizens of SA, if your fellow South Africans were treated this way in other countries, how would you feel? Do you think that there are no South Africans in other parts of the world? There are, and they enjoy every freedom. By the way what is xenophobia? For those who don’t know;
“Xenophobia is the intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries”.
Last year I wrote this post when Nigerians were being attacked in India. I asked a few questions, stated some facts. Those facts still hold today. I blame the Nigerians for always fleeing from their country. No, I don’t blame them. Instead, I blame the Nigerian government who has made life difficult for its average citizens. They have to seek for greener pastures outside the country. These same government that has refused to implement stringent immigration rules like other countries. Hmm… I may not blame them so much, for even when life was a bit bearable, Nigerians always found their way out of the country.
Who should I blame then? Yes, I know. I’ll blame you and me, not for moving around and relocating (that’s part of human life), but for being unaccommodating. Everybody wants to lock up their borders (with good reasons too). However, we need peace. It is the only way forward.
But wait oh, is it not these same South Africans that were oppressed for so many years by the white men in the name of colonialism? I don’t see them asking the white folks to leave their country (kindly or otherwise) – no offense. Finally, maybe this is just transferred aggression.
Say no to Xenophobia, speak out loud against it. Everyone is a foreigner somewhere.
Peace.
DOWN WITH XENOPHOBIA
ReplyDeleteYes! All the way to hell. It has to stop.
DeleteGreetings Keren, I agree with you; this is very troubling. The reasons for it though are not apparent at the surface. Notice it is the poor who are on the rampage in SA. This isn't government policy. The poor are attacking the foreign workers who have had the audacity to come into their country, settle in their communities and prosper; while the poor remain stuck in their condition. The reasons for their lack of upward mobility would be better understood by a South African than by me a Nigerian.
ReplyDeleteMr. Adela, this may not be a government policy, but the people at the top started it by making some statements. Vanguard wrote that a month ago, the king of the Zulu tribe told the foreigners to pack and go. Then the president's son - Edward Zuma came on TV and supported him saying they were on a ticking bomb as foreigners are taking over the country. If the top officials belief this, then how else will the poor populace react. Also, I have some relatives who reside in south Africa, this is not the first time this is happening. They attack foreigners especially Nigerians all the time. They belief the foreigners are taking away their jobs and impoverishing them? Well, I say, who can take away your inheritance unless you let them. I doubt if the SA government or big shots would give jobs to the non-indigenes if the indigenes were capable and interested in doing the jobs. Take a look at their soap operas, either done by whites or jampacked by Nigerians e.g. Tinsel.
DeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteXenophobia is so silly, and stupid, and WRONG! We're all people no matter where in the world we come from or what color our skin is. Racism in all of it's forms is terrible.
I love the end of your post. And your first comment. :)
Thank you Chrys. This really is sad. We are all people.
DeleteXenophobia, to you I say "NO!" and then some. :)
ReplyDeleteLol David @and then some.
DeleteI didn't want to believe it at first, when my friend told me about it yesterday. I mean, I've always loved South Africa, with their music and KTV/K-World being a huge part of my growing up years. It's sad to think that Nigerians can be singled out like that, as the cause of most of their present woes; it's just like what happened with the Jews in Germany during World War II. You'd think history would have thought everyone a lesson by now. :(
ReplyDeleteIt really is very sad, SA was one of the countries to visit in my bucketlist. Nigerians aren't the only ones affected by this though, many more Africans from Somalia, Angola are also affected. I think that Nigerians are mostly affected cos we have a larger number.
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