The machete generation
The machine gun and machete generation has arrived. The age of terror and idiocy is upon us. These marauding gangs embrace and glorify violence as a solution to our social ills. They feed on propaganda and exploit people’s fears.
I first saw them in Kenya’s Rift Valley. They come under different guises — tribalism, xenophobia — but have one intention: to destroy. They have no reverence for human life. Their fingerprints are visible in Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi.
I thought South Africans were different and would never resort to killing humans over superficial differences. Apparently I was wrong. Fourteen years into our democracy, the savages are roaming our streets. If we keep quiet, the political demagogues will take over; the marauding criminal gangs will be our kings. — Lucas Ntyintyane, Cresta, Johannesburg
I’m horrified at these xenophobic attacks. I’m trembling with terror. Is the human soul capable of inflicting so much harm, all in the name of a job? I’m tired of hearing about the frustrations of poverty. No amount of money will put these attackers to sleep at night after what they have done.
Why isn’t anything being done to stop the vicious little devils disguised as Zanu-PF youth who brutally attack innocent people in Zimbabwe? What are Zimbabweans to do except flood our country? — Lethebo Motshekga
Despite the huge resources African countries, especially Nigeria, committed to the cause of liberating South Africa from apartheid, many South Africans still nurse open animosity towards their African brothers and sisters. It’s high time we questioned South Africa’s readiness to host the World Cup. Can it welcome foreign visitors? Xenophobia is the only South African epidemic spreading faster than Aids. — ‘ola aDjanor, the image maker CC
There is a ring of truth in the allegation that this violent rampage was brought on by the lack of timeous action by ‘quiet diplomats”. — VA Volker, Pietermaritzburg
You say in your editorial (May 16) that we still need an explanation for and solution to the xenophobic frenzies. Attacking foreigners — the ‘Other” — to protect or promote business interests is an old and universal phenomenon. The poverty and unemployment of Alex alone would have made xenophobia an obvious business stratagem for taxi operators.
You quote a refugee from Côte d’Ivoire warning that tribalism waits in the wings once foreigners have been sorted out. Linked to this is your report on the Traditional Courts Bill, which aims to turn all rural inhabitants into tribal subjects and give chiefs extensive economic powers.
Not surprisingly, Contralesa is reported to be fully behind this self-serving measure, which reinforces tribalism and tribal identities — the very features that feed off xenophobia.
Tribal identities are variations of the ‘racial” identities bequeathed us by apartheid and given a further huge boost by affirmative action and black elite empowerment. Colour-coded access to scarce resources necessitates divisive exclusivity, whether in the form of ‘race”, ethnicity or tribe.
Our horror and shame at xenophobia invites us to look critically at the class interests involved. The death and suffering in recent weeks will not have been in vain if we are bold enough to see the unavoidable connection between race-based economic benefit, exclusive self-identity and xenophobia.
Let’s learn before it’s too late. We must become the non-racial society prescribed by our Constitution. — Jeff Rudin
I never thought I would live to witness tribal war in South Africa — people being assaulted and discriminated against because they are not South African citizens, inferior because they are not Zulus. Africans are being denied the freedoms of movement, association and to be Africans.
People talk, but Thabo Mbeki doesn’t listen. He won’t revisit his policies or accept that a wise man often changes his mind. Strengthen the people’s security and all will be well. Root out nepotism and deal severely with corruption. — Sello Godfrey Mahlatsane, Welkom
I cannot understand why my fellow South Africans are turning against people from neighbouring countries, using excuses to justify their acts. They say foreigners are taking their jobs. They refuse to understand that the country has many opportunities for South Africans, but that the only way to grab them is to educate yourself and be disciplined. Why are they only turning against poor black foreigners?
Do they think that beating up both foreigners and fellow South Africans will create jobs? Why can’t they think back to when neighbouring countries helped us when we were suffering? Those who take the law into their hands are illiterates who do not understand that we live in a global village. All my fellow South Africans should condemn these negative acts, which are bringing down the reputation of our dear country. — Lungile
It is extremely worrying for the future of South Africa that the governing party, itself riddled with anarchic elements, has to call for an end to anarchy. In the lack of control, manners and decency exhibited at ANC meetings and caucuses we glimpse the true forces behind the ‘movement” — greed and lust for power. — Duncan Robson, Cape Town
If the media had not labelled the first reported attacks in Alexandra as ‘xenophobic”, would we immediately have thought of them as such? And would we have had copy cat attacks in other areas around Gauteng? It is possible that the newspapers’ and TV stations’ labelling of the attacks contributed to criminally minded South Africans dangerously rethinking their attitudes towards foreigners.
Some media are indirectly and subtly inciting people against foreigners due to the perception that the continuing influx of Zimbabweans will heighten crime and ‘suffocate” us. News editors should carefully analyse sensitive news events and the potential consequences of reporting them in various ways.
In particular it must move away from sensational headlines that are driven by the need to sell more newspapers or increase listenership or viewership without thinking about their impact on social integration and development. — Emmanuel Matsebatlela, Pretoria
What the violence is really about
Politicians, and, indeed, many ordinary South Africans have been quick to condemn the violence that is exploding in townships such as Alexandra, but they have neglected to examine the real reasons behind the attacks.
Essentially, the people of these communities are fed up. In the case of Alexandra, there is rampant crime, low levels of employment, poor service delivery and a shortage of proper housing, sanitation and healthcare. Rising food and fuel prices only worsen the situation for those living in these communities.
With regard to the so-called xenophobic attacks, perhaps people should spend less time labelling them as such and more time recognising that there is a long history of dissatisfaction behind them. The powers that be are so busy ensuring that they fulfil their duty to the foreigners to protect them that they are forgetting to fulfil their duty to their own people.
South Africans do not dislike foreigners (the rapidly growing tourism industry is testament to that). What South Africans dislike is foreigners who are making a difficult situation worse, those who are adding to Alexandra’s problems: increasing the crime rate, lowering the amount of resources available to South Africans and — possibly the most unforgivable in a township where unemployment estimates are as high as 58% — reducing the number of available jobs.
In South Africa’s haste to save the rest of Africa’s people from themselves and provide them with a refuge, we have forgotten the plight of our own people. Instead of reprimanding the people of Alexandra for “bad behaviour” as though they are small children, those in power should be viewing the violence as an uprising of the people — people who have had had enough of not being listened to, who have had enough of struggling in the least favourable conditions and who no longer wish to play second fiddle to foreigners in their own country. They are speaking out the only way in which they can guarantee that people will pay attention — violence. — Clare Burn, a South African in New Zealand
It appears that, after all, President Thabo Mbeki was (partially) correct — there is no crisis in Zimbabwe. The crisis is in South Africa.
From afar, the irony of the situation is overwhelming. South Africa’s leadership shirked its responsibility to bring about meaningful change in Zimbabwe, and now the crisis has spilled over into South Africa itself. Perhaps now that it is in South Africa’s interests, the despot to your north will be confronted. One can only hope so. — Stan Hellmann, Portland, Oregon
Burning to death an innocent man in front of his children is a despicable sin that will haunt your country for the foreseeable future. May God have mercy on you. — David Simango
The CEO of the 2010 local organising committee, Danny Jordaan, maintains that the attacks on foreigners will not deter soccer fans from coming to the World Cup because they are aware that the attacks are as a result of “disgruntled” individuals and not endorsed by South Africa’s leaders.
However, TV screens throughout the world are showing “disgruntled” mobs rampaging through the streets, hunting down foreigners and, in some cases, chanting Jacob Zuma’s personal “anthem”, Umshini Wami (Bring Me My Machine Gun).
The recent developments concerning Zuma’s trial date will undoubtedly mean that as the new president, he will be the guest of honour at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 World Cup, as well as at the games played by Bafana Bafana.
Perhaps Jordaan and his committee should start explaining the origin of Zuma’s song to potential 2010 tourists from across the world — emphasising that it will not be directed at them when sung at the games. — Frank Hartry, Kingsburgh
Why would the South African government not provide refugee camps for people fleeing from their own countries, as other African countries have done? That way these already traumatised individuals and their families would not be forced into further uncertainties in an unknown territory.
Humanitarian agencies would assist in providing shelter, food and medicine, as is done in so many other countries in the world. The government’s ineffective manner in dealing with this problem has put enormous strain on its own people’s resources and left the refugees to fend for themselves. It has once again let the people of South Africa down. My guess is it did not want so many millions of people brought together in a single area for the world to see. — Amy K
Where’s the real ANC?
I’m really pissed off. Having just paid a traffic fine, a little reluctantly but very dutifully, I read that ANC MPs will be forgiven their Travelgate corruptions and legal fees to boot. These are people who are supposed to represent my interests (I even voted for them) but they are doing the opposite while as a taxpayer I continue to pay their salaries, illegal travel claims and now their legal fees.
This is all on top of killing off the Scorpions to protect future corruption. Where is the hope here? Where is the end to this? And where the hell is the ANC we supported all these years? — Doug Reeler, Community Development Resource Association, Cape Town
What message is being sent by the Travelgate let-off to our young people and people just starting out on their careers? Don’t worry too much about getting into trouble over ethics, we’ll bail you out and you will get rich. It’s okay to be untrustworthy. The real corruption that is occurring is the erosion of ethical standards and the values of our society. — Richard R Hawkins, Pietermaritzburg
BEE is gonna getcha
Reading about Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana’s ‘big stick” comments made me look up the BEE scorecard again, and I had a late-night insight that should probably have struck me before. Although, clearly, it hasn’t struck the wielders of the BEE sticks.
Here’s the scenario: John is a businessman with a desire to uphold the law, who chooses to score on the equity ownership portion of the scorecard.
1: Set up a BEE deal with a competent black business partner — Jabu.
2: Run the business competently and make a success of it.
3: The market gets wind of this and the share price takes off.
4: Jabu sells his share in the company to make a healthy profit. (No, there’s nothing wrong with this — even your pension fund buys shares to sell at a higher share price).
John has now lost his black equity ownership score and has four options:
1: Set up a BEE deal with a competent black business partner (not Jabu). Rinse, and repeat, until John no longer owns the business;
2: Set up a BEE deal with an incompetent black business partner, who won’t know to sell when the price is hot (dilute the quality of the business);
3: Ensure that the business is not successful enough for the share price to take off (dilute the quality of the business); or
4: Forget about complying with the equity ownership portion of the BEE scorecard (dilute the legal quality of the business).
I have found no way of solving the problem: required ownership rules (not just BEE) are hostile to the quality of business. If you’re good, it’s gonna getcha. Sounds a lot like Brecht to me. — Mark von Delft, Durban
Constitution is non-racial
NG Zungu (‘BEE is for Africans”, May 16) complains that ‘the interpretation of blacks as derived from the Constitution is not in favour of blacks who are indigenous Africans” and that ‘ the Constitution makes Africans, coloureds and Indians all black”.
Zungu must be thinking of the 1983 constitution, as our present Constitution quite rightly does not classify South Africans according to race. Neither are there any definitions of ‘race” left on the statute book, since the Population Registration Act was repealed years ago.
Section 9 (2) of the Constitution does, indeed, refer to the need to promote the achievement of equality by taking ‘legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination”.
However, it is not certain that affirmative action is always the best measure to advance equality. It can lead to greater inequality if it is persistently used to advantage the plutocrats referred to by Zungu as the ‘usual suspects” or if the appointment of unqualified people leads to the collapse of service delivery to the disadvantaged.
S.9(2) should not be viewed in terms of race, but in terms of disadvantage and unfair discrimination. Poor whites, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination in the form of unbalanced affirmative action, might also be able to seek relief in terms of the section. —Dave Steward, executive director, FW de Klerk Foundation
Honour rugby protesters
I have never forgotten the sight on television of New Zealand youngsters, male and female, getting their heads cracked for demonstrating against apartheid in sport. A Springbok on the tour proudly recounted catching a demonstrator and kicking him with size 15 boots to approving reports from the travelling South African press. Those youngsters were instrumental in my not becoming a racist.
The Mandela and Mbeki administrations have recognised some of the leaders of the demos — but not SA Rugby. Oregan Hoskins, please right a terrible wrong.
Some other suggestions for Hoskins. Can he get the International Rugby Board to admit Argentina to the Tri-Nations by next season? They played superbly in the last World Cup. I also support his desire to get the Pacific Islanders a place in the competition.
Hoskins needs to invigorate rugby in Africa by getting Saru to initiate an African Cup where Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Algeria, Egypt and the junior Springboks take part.
A place can also be found for an Indian Ocean island team comprising Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles and the French and American navies, which both have bases in the Indian Ocean. — Jais Ramniranjan, Pietermaritzburg
In brief
What wonderful news that Alec Erwin is stepping down from politics. We won’t have to listen to his feeble lies, but more importantly, we will be saved from having to gaze in horror at his frightening hairstyle. Good riddance to another Mbeki apparatchik and yes-man. — Herman Lategan, Sea Point
Thanks for publishing the portraits of the Travelgate Big (Rotten) Fish. The contempt in the eyes of Beatrice Marshoff epitomises the attitude of the current regime to the voting public and the media. — DJ Ntoni, Jo’burg
For Primarashni Gower to call university students who enrol in foundation programmes and academic development programmes ‘weak” is an insult (May 16). I started my university life in the foundation phase. It is the education system that is weak. — Sonwabo Ngqontsha
Chuck Volpe’s careless disregard for Palestinian suffering (Letters, May 16) is a kind of Holocaust denial of the 21st century. — A Essop, Malabar, Port Elizabeth
After reading reports of the Chinese arms reaching Zimbabwe, thanks to Dos Santos and Mbeki, I couldn’t help but shudder in defeat. Here is a question for God, if he exists and if there is a God for the African people: why does he always put atrocious and infinitely nefarious demoniacs in positions of power on our continent, such as Mbeki, Mugabe and Dos Santos? — Arnold Mashava, University of KwaZulu-Natal
At last! It’s all clear to me — according to Valli Moosa, it’s not a bunch of incompetents in the government, it’s not their similarly gifted partners in Eskom management, it’s your millions upon millions of rich people living in Sandton and Constantia who are to blame for the blackouts. Well, now we know — — Rod Baker