A few days ago I ranted on this blog about how sick and tired I was of how South Africans were now suddenly supposed to be all 'pro-African' and all 'pro-Ghana', the last remaining team at the time in the World Cup. The constant harping on about how this was 'Africa's World Cup' annoys me no end. I found it all so unncessary, given that I, for one, have nothing in common with Ghana or any other African nation for that matter.
What even irked me more, and I stated it in said post, was the sheer hypocrisy of many South Africans to be suddenly so 'pro-Africa' given the enormous levels of xenophobic violence against African immigrants that this country has seen in the past few years.
I was told today that on the radio the reports are coming out that this country could be on the verge of another of these xenophobia-fueled riots and violence. It was said that African immigrants in black townships like Alexandra, Diepsloot and many others around the country are bracing themselves for all-out attacks by local blacks wanting them out.
How dare locals think that they can attack, maim and even kill foreign immigrants because they're perceived to be 'taking our jobs' or 'causing crime in this country' or, most ridiculously of all, 'taking our women'. It's the classic case of xenophobic nonsense the world over.
They're not taking your jobs - they're just more hardworking than you. In my experience, South Africans are not always the most industrious, competent or hardworking people I've met.
The crime excuse is so laughable as to be downright stupid. This has always been a crime-ridden country, even during the schizphrenic police state it was in the apartheid era. It is true that Nigerian and Zimbabwean and Egyptian, etc, crime cartels have done very well in this country. But that hardly excuses the fact that much of our crime is indeed very homegrown. As it has always been.
And if you want to keep blaming the foreign criminals for being here, then blame Mandela. We have him to thank for flinging this country's borders wide open to the rest of Africa after 1994.
See how the blame game can get tricky...?
As for foreigners taking local women, I'm actually not at all surprised. Many of the men from West and Central Africa are a darn sight taller, better built and better-looking than the local men. All power to the local women if they do run off with other African men - they just have damn good taste.
I believe a Zimbabwean man who lives in Alexandra in Johannesburg was interviewed and said he was genuinely scared about the prospect of being attacked again. He said he'd lived here ten years, was law-abiding, had taken work from no one as he worked for himself, and had certainly never stolen anyone's woman. I have met countless Zimbabweans just like him - hardworking, polite, usually well-educated and trying to make an honest buck in a bloody hard, unforgiving country.
Except this time he said it would be different - this time, he said, he and others will fight back.
As they absolutely should.
I was utterly embarrassed and ashamed as a South African citizen when all of these xenophobic attacks erupted two years ago. Which is why I never shut up at the time telling every other South African just how disgusting it all was and how outraged I was - and that included classrooms full of students and delegates I was training or facilitating. I've never encountered so much hushed silence and palpable shame (and disdain at me too, let it be said) in all my time as a professional.
This country has a barbaric and racist past that few other countries can match, and it was horrific to see it rear its ugly head again. And this time, black-on-black racism. I can only hope it won't do so again.
Which is why I feel vindicated in my contempt for South Africans bleating on about how 'African' they are and how much they 'love' and support other African teams. It's hypocrisy of the kind only a warped society like this can muster.
I may be vindicated - but it's hollow vindication indeed.
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