Xenophobia; The irony of human inhumanity

Barely two decades ago, the world was still faced with the shock and bewilderment accompanying the gruesome brutality and savagery of racism and apartheid meted on the people of South Africa by their then colonial task masters. Many world leaders and influential figure especially African leaders lent words and actions against what was described as mans inhumanity to mankind. The people of South Africa spearheaded by their legendary leader Nelson Madiba Mandela fought with their last blood and cried to the rest of the world, drawing attention to the atrocities of apartheid and soliciting for assistance in the battle against the injustice and wickedness of racism and apartheid. finally in 1994 apartheid in South Africa came to an end. Thanks to the efforts and pressure especially from other African countries, most especially from Nigeria, who gave and spent a great deal, physical and financialy to assist the libearation of South Africa.

Barely two decades later, when most of the people who experienced the cruelty of racism first hand are still alive, the world's attention is again turned to South Africa. But this time the prey has become the hunter. Hunting down, destroying, attacking and killing its own kind, their own race, fellow Africans. South Africans perpetuating racism on other Africans in the guise of Xenophobia. Xenophobia as it is, is just a coverup mask for the madness currently going on in South Africa. From dictionary definition, Xenophobia is an intense or irrational fear and/or dislike for people from other countries or stranger. But a situation - as witnessed in South Africa- where only black foreigners are been singled out and attacked while foreigner from other races (Whites) are spared, one will begin to wonder if the term xenophobia is really appropriate for the situation at hand. Personally I think it isn't. The callous display of vicious madness currently prevailing in South Africa can be more appropriately christened an Intra-racial racism or Homo-racial phobia/aggression.

To think that it is this same South Africans who barely two decades ago were under the brunt and weight of mans inhumanity to mankind, that are now turning around to inflict same inhuman treatment on another human, worst off, on fellow Africans, is totally unthinkable, unfortunate and unforgivable. It is too much to swallow whether with a pinch of salt or a jar of honey. This is a shame and reproach on the nation and people of South Africa. A smear of faeces on the travails and legacy of the legendary Nelson Madiba Mandela. I perceive he must be turning in discomfort and indignation in his grave now. With this reprehensible and noxious act, South Africa spits on the grave of Mandela. With every assault, every attack, every wanton destruction of lives and properties of other African bothers, they spit pungent, odorous spittle on the grave of Madiba and all he ever fought, lived and died for.

                                                   Late Nelson Mandela

This actions by South Africa is beginning to leave residue of doubts in the minds of many, including myself,  if truly there was racism and racial abuse in South Africa during the apartheid era. It is begining to seem like a case in which the South Africans in their usual inherent hostility and intolerance to foreigner tried attacking the British but instead met a superior power and began crying fowl amist crocodile tears. The whites, in the face of aggressions and hostility from the South Africans then had to engage in a battle of survival by using any means possible, includinng but not limited to the apartheid law to suppress and tame the locals least they rise up and consume them in their barbaric savagery gestured towards visitors.

The rest of Africa must rise up to this inhumanity of South Africa. It is also very disheartening the reality that the government of South Africa is giving a silent approval to this attacks. It could be favorably argued that the government are surreptitiously behind the ember fanning the flames of xenophobia. Needless to say that the fire was ignited by the authorities themselves in the person of the king of Zulu Chief Godswill (or rather Devils will) Zwelithili and the son of the South African president himself. The recent intra-racial hostility was spawn from the corridors of powers and influence and from the home of the president of South Africa himself. Do we need a second sun to see the finger prints of the government on this? The rest of Africa must hence seize hoping on and expecting the government of South Africa to conscientiously bring an end to this menace. We must act and enact necessary measures and sanctions on South Africa, with every might possible to force her hands to action. From cutting of diplomatic ties, to shutting down every business and relationship with the country, to frustrating South African business concerns around the continent, to placing of bans on the nation of South Africa. Words of condemnation alone are not enough. We condemned the initial case of xenophobia in South Africa in 2008 in which more than 60 foreigners were killed and thousands displaced. Yet the weed sprouted again, seven years later, threatening to be  even the more calamitous this time even to the scale of the Rwandan genocide. The effrontery for this second rising emanates from the fact that they did it before and got away with it. This time we must nip the weed from the stem to the roots.

THE MADNESS OF XENOPHOBIA DISEASE HAS TO STOP.