Do you know that guilt people make you feel when you talk about foreigners, that creepy stomach turn you get or those salty looks? I can feel it even now as I write this and you know what, screw you I’m going to write this anyway.
Let’s face it. These are words that Charles Masango, a former school mate of mine used to utter with emphasis before he summons his argument in class debates. I never truly grasped what Charles intended with such emphasis but somewhere in those words lied big confrontations. At a certain point time in our lives we have situations that we have to face and deal with straight up and we South Africans too have to face one thing, foreign nationals. There’s a lot of foreign nationals living in South Africa, black, white, Jews, so Malians, Nigerians, Zambians the list is endless. From Cosmo City to Randburg. Thaba Nchu to Trompsburg in Bloemfontein. Burgersfort to Lephalale. Soweto to Calrtonville, ay you name the place, they are there. I actually have friend who lives in the Kempton Park CBD and she calls Kempton Park Lagos. Imagine. Lol.I know.
Whether this is good or bad is a question for another day, there is a key burning issue at hand here.
The issue of the day is the guilt that comes out the moment you speak about this. You know. The cold confrontation is what the people are scared of. This is because we might look ‘Xhenophobic’. All great thanks to our very own media.
The media labels us “Xhenophobic” and that we must not engage in such remarks. When violent erupts the very same media houses start to roll out multimillion rand PR campaigns telling us that we must stop xenophobia. The hashtag world. In other words that we must stop question the existence of illegal foreign immigrants, yet we – the very same people are victims at the end of the day.
Bullshit!
I am not here preaching “Xhenophobia” , violence or hate upon anyone but then. The problem is one. Not talking about these things is the same as ignoring racist remarks or sexual harassment at work and hoping they will someday vanish into the blue skies. Poof! Magic.
It is irresponsible.
As a matter of fact the problem escalates faster and deep on the other end. Those who get victimized get fed up emotionally and what do they do? They fuel the hate, and like petrol – the fire erupts quicker, and boom. Xenophobic attacks. Looting etc.
And then we go back.
The media labels us as Xenophobic. SABC and the government spends millions on PR campaigns telling people not to be Xenophobic – telling the people not to question the existence of foreign nationals.
Here’s the deal, and it’s not as though we don’t care about our foreign brodas and sistas. We do! Deeply so – We sympathise with them. They did not start wars in the countries or voted for lunatics to run their country, no. They are not responsible for that and they do not deserve such unfair despair and treatment.
You see there!
They are not responsible. For anything.
That’s the problem. The foreign nationals living amongst us chose to run off instead of making a stand and it sounds easy as I say it, I know.
The reason is, we’re not supposed to feel quilty for questioning their presence. This is because, when I write this post, when you question such. You’re are slowly beginning to help them more than you’re helping me and youself or South Africa. Surely they’re the ones faced with a whole lot of problems, i.e. where they’re from – than we have to deal with them.
When we question their high level of presence here in SA we’re starting to suggest that they face their own demons like South Africans did back in the days. These are the demons they left behind and that’s why they hate us so and make us feel guilty for speaking of such, how could we!
When we ask why, we’re suggesting that they think deep of the future of their own country, something they wish to forget and you cannot just forget that.
When we fight fees must fall, who’s doing that in their country?
When we’re campaigning and demanding equality, security and welfare for our own people who’s doing that in their country?
When I’m writing this post, questioning them, when I’m founding a start-up, to better our people, who is bettering their own when they are at our very own democratic doorsteps curtsey of the ones our people fought for, for so long.
June 1976, Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, The Rivonia Trial, District Six, Hector Peterson – through blood and sweat, all of these people and more of whom we do not know of, fought for this country tirelessly. Imagine if they chose to just leave and find new homes.
Jacob Zuma once said it is the responsibility of the other leaders (Zambian, Zimbabwean, Nigerian etc.) to ensure that their people are first, safe in their very own country. But because they failed so, now the responsibility lies with him. And guess what, JZ almost had his head cut off and God, my poor president was right. For a change I thought my president has hit a nail on the head.
And so you my friend we have to face it, unfortunately.
You have to speak about these burning issues, freely so.
We have to speak about them without a pinch of guilt. This is because when you question and speak of such.
You’re are slowly beginning to help them more than you’re South Africa.
When you ask why, we’re suggesting that they think deep of the future of their own country, their people, their security and welfare.
When you are founding a start-up, fighting fees must fall or free education, you are fighting to better our people, and so who is bettering their own when they are at our very own doorsteps?
Article By By NELSON MOROPANA
Nelson is a writer, researcher at HDTV Network, founder of The Brand Studio. Highly devoted to building authoritative and trusted brands & businesses.
Connect with Nelson via:Twitter , Facebook or Medium
You speak as if during our struggles no South African went to foreign lands to seek help, refuge and opportunities. You are not anti – foreign, you are anti black. We fought against white rule, and foreigners “Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola” were more than happy to help, when the whites are gone and your brothers or the state become your enemy, it becomes difficult to fight.
There are copious amounts of European and American “foreigners” in our country and their presence is never questioned.
We are fortunate enough that when we protest or vandalise property the state only responds with teargas and rubber bullets but I am willing to bet that if you knew that your protest could result in you being shot and killed, you would also pack your bags and move.
By speaking you are not helping them, you’re just trying to justify your disdain for poor foreigners.