Even for a person, unlike me, with marginal interest in International affairs, the recent violence against African foreigners in South Africa could not have gone un-noticed. Come to think of it, I never thought I would one day use the term "African foreigner" to describe Africans residing in another African country? Surely President Mbeki's "I am an African" poem was enough to instil in us sufficient doses of Ubuntu to make us realise we are all African? As it turns out, President Mbeki's immediate audience, the South Africans, have not been too studious. Could there be a justifiable reason to this errant behaviour on the group that ought to be class A students for President Mbeki?
Rather unfortunately, attacks based on bigotry and prejudices are not unique to South Africa. Almost at the same time as some residents of Alexandra - a township in Johannesburg - were attacking African foreigners, so too were some residents of Milan in Italy, attacking European foreigners in their midst.
Wait! Xenophobic attacks in Italy? In Europe? Against Europeans?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
However, what was most pertinent for me was not the fact it took President Mbeki more than a week to condemn the xenophobic attacks, which he did. Or, that one of his Ministers took aim at what he termed, "lumpen proletariat" - a statement which obviously earns him the medal for silly, and so yesterday, political spin - as a "third-force" behind these attacks? What struck me was the intersection of similar reasons advanced for the attacks, both in Italy and South Africa, by that so-called "third-force." These similarities notwithstanding, the responses by politicians in either country seemed uniform only at a solitary point - "Stop the violence!"
In Italy, by all reports, the politicians seem to agree with the "third-force" that immigrants are the source of crime and various other vice. Their solution, deportations? They have been swift to enact laws enabling authorities to deport "undesirable" immigrants. 500 have so far been deported according to reports.
In South Africa, on the other hand, it seems unfashionable for politicians to even consider the reasons advanced by the "third-force." But what exactly are the reasons?
Well, like some Italians, some South Africans believe African foreigners are the major source of the high crime-rate gripping that country; that foreigners are driving down wages by their willingness to work for next to a pittance; that foreigners are unjustly benefiting from the governments welfare programs such as housing?
On the first reason - crime - it does not help that foreigners have recently made headlines in high profile criminal cases. Ananias Mathe - a career criminal and un-sarcastically termed “the slippery fugitive”, boasting an endless string of hideous crimes to his name, happens to be Mozambican! Then the Jeppestown massacre - an infamous hold up where four police officers were killed, the perpetrators were, reportedly, mostly Zimbabwean! Of course these examples pale into insignificance to the very high incidents of violent crime in South Africa. However, they play to the psyche and perceptions that foreigners are mostly responsible for violent crime in South Africa?
What about the charge that African foreigners are driving down wages by their willingness, out of desperation, to take any job at any price? Without any empirical evidence or detailed facts, it seems understandable that any community would feel threatened by "foreigners" perceived to be driving down wages or usurping jobs that the locals believe they rightly deserve? Obviously, the emotive question pitting "merit" against "entitlement" cannot be explored in the absence of hard facts on number illegal immigrants in South Africa? Ironically for South Africa, the debate placing "merit" against "entitlement" has variously been explored by protagonists of Affirmative Action who argue that it is pseudo or reverse discrimination that rewards un-deserving Black South Africans at the expense of qualified White South Africans. This is obviously a contentious and undoubtedly curious extension of the argument, but one a discerning mind may not shy away from exploring further?
Finally, the "third-force" justifying xenophobic attacks by arguing that African foreigners un-justly benefit from government social welfare programmes such as housing? One then wonders whether the criterion for housing is determined by fluently expounding the Zulu words for "knuckles" or "sphincter muscle?" It is at this point that the words of that South African Minister in describing these xenophobic attacks come to mind - "...the workings of a lumpen proletariat..." Ridiculous as this choice of words may be, they offer a laughable, albeit refreshing, explanation of the ridiculous and savage attacks on foreigners that has gone on in South Africa lately?
The question still remains, why, unlike the Italian government, has the South African government shied away from the question of deporting illegal immigrants? The answer may lie in that "I am an African" poem whereupon it describes the South African constitution as follows:
It creates a law-governed society which shall be inimical to arbitrary rule.
It enables the resolution of conflicts by peaceful means rather than resort to force.
It rejoices in the diversity of our people and creates the space for all of us voluntarily to define ourselves as one people.
As an African, this is an achievement of which I am proud, proud without reservation and proud without any feeling of conceit.
If only the author of the poem had the same vigour to translate his words into action, to give hope, like many generous South Africans have already, to the many Zimbabweans escaping political torment in Zimbabwe yet now falling victim to the actions of that "…lumpen proletariat…?" If only?
Rather unfortunately, attacks based on bigotry and prejudices are not unique to South Africa. Almost at the same time as some residents of Alexandra - a township in Johannesburg - were attacking African foreigners, so too were some residents of Milan in Italy, attacking European foreigners in their midst.
Wait! Xenophobic attacks in Italy? In Europe? Against Europeans?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
However, what was most pertinent for me was not the fact it took President Mbeki more than a week to condemn the xenophobic attacks, which he did. Or, that one of his Ministers took aim at what he termed, "lumpen proletariat" - a statement which obviously earns him the medal for silly, and so yesterday, political spin - as a "third-force" behind these attacks? What struck me was the intersection of similar reasons advanced for the attacks, both in Italy and South Africa, by that so-called "third-force." These similarities notwithstanding, the responses by politicians in either country seemed uniform only at a solitary point - "Stop the violence!"
In Italy, by all reports, the politicians seem to agree with the "third-force" that immigrants are the source of crime and various other vice. Their solution, deportations? They have been swift to enact laws enabling authorities to deport "undesirable" immigrants. 500 have so far been deported according to reports.
In South Africa, on the other hand, it seems unfashionable for politicians to even consider the reasons advanced by the "third-force." But what exactly are the reasons?
Well, like some Italians, some South Africans believe African foreigners are the major source of the high crime-rate gripping that country; that foreigners are driving down wages by their willingness to work for next to a pittance; that foreigners are unjustly benefiting from the governments welfare programs such as housing?
On the first reason - crime - it does not help that foreigners have recently made headlines in high profile criminal cases. Ananias Mathe - a career criminal and un-sarcastically termed “the slippery fugitive”, boasting an endless string of hideous crimes to his name, happens to be Mozambican! Then the Jeppestown massacre - an infamous hold up where four police officers were killed, the perpetrators were, reportedly, mostly Zimbabwean! Of course these examples pale into insignificance to the very high incidents of violent crime in South Africa. However, they play to the psyche and perceptions that foreigners are mostly responsible for violent crime in South Africa?
What about the charge that African foreigners are driving down wages by their willingness, out of desperation, to take any job at any price? Without any empirical evidence or detailed facts, it seems understandable that any community would feel threatened by "foreigners" perceived to be driving down wages or usurping jobs that the locals believe they rightly deserve? Obviously, the emotive question pitting "merit" against "entitlement" cannot be explored in the absence of hard facts on number illegal immigrants in South Africa? Ironically for South Africa, the debate placing "merit" against "entitlement" has variously been explored by protagonists of Affirmative Action who argue that it is pseudo or reverse discrimination that rewards un-deserving Black South Africans at the expense of qualified White South Africans. This is obviously a contentious and undoubtedly curious extension of the argument, but one a discerning mind may not shy away from exploring further?
Finally, the "third-force" justifying xenophobic attacks by arguing that African foreigners un-justly benefit from government social welfare programmes such as housing? One then wonders whether the criterion for housing is determined by fluently expounding the Zulu words for "knuckles" or "sphincter muscle?" It is at this point that the words of that South African Minister in describing these xenophobic attacks come to mind - "...the workings of a lumpen proletariat..." Ridiculous as this choice of words may be, they offer a laughable, albeit refreshing, explanation of the ridiculous and savage attacks on foreigners that has gone on in South Africa lately?
The question still remains, why, unlike the Italian government, has the South African government shied away from the question of deporting illegal immigrants? The answer may lie in that "I am an African" poem whereupon it describes the South African constitution as follows:
It creates a law-governed society which shall be inimical to arbitrary rule.
It enables the resolution of conflicts by peaceful means rather than resort to force.
It rejoices in the diversity of our people and creates the space for all of us voluntarily to define ourselves as one people.
As an African, this is an achievement of which I am proud, proud without reservation and proud without any feeling of conceit.
If only the author of the poem had the same vigour to translate his words into action, to give hope, like many generous South Africans have already, to the many Zimbabweans escaping political torment in Zimbabwe yet now falling victim to the actions of that "…lumpen proletariat…?" If only?
