XENOPHOBIA IN SOUTH AFRICA: THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH By Asithandile Gxumisa

Once more the Republic of South Africa finds herself relapsing into her chronic malady: xenophobia. The country's major cities and towns have recently become infernal pits of horror and death for foreign nationals. Many shops believed to be owned by foreigners have been torched to the ground, and many others have been either vandalized or looted by violent and opportunistic criminals. The Salajee family in Malvern, Johannesburg, was brought to tears when they learned in the early hours of Monday that their car dealership had been burned down. All that was left were ashy frames of cars whose value was reportedly in the millions. Since the violence began on the 1st of September, about 10 people have lost their lives, the majority of whom were actually South African nationals. 

Commentators have thus warned about how the country is at risk of descending into the gory xenophobic savagery of 2008. The attacks of that year left well over 60 people dead. I do not wish to describe further the shape and form that the xenophobic violence has taken this time. Everyone is well aware of the threat made to foreign truck drivers that are employed by local companies, the opportunistic looting and general vandalism directed at foreign-owned property across most parts of the country. I believe it is also true that every man and woman of good conscience is appalled by violence against humans - whether they are migrants or not. For this reason many good South Africans have rightly condemned the slaughter of people and the destruction of property. In all the reactions to this crisis, from the police's almost passive response to the retaliation against South African nationals in other African countries, what has caught most of my attention have been the responses from our political leaders - the only people in a position to effectively address the issue.

Initially, they were as silent as stones. Given the raucous racket that they often make in our precious Parliament, this was uncannily and bewilderingly out of character on their part. Finally, when Cyril Ramaphosa, our "unidentified leader", weighed in on the issue I thought he might as well have said nothing. In the face of angry South Africans who feel - wrongly or rightly - that immigrants have taken advantage of the openness of their country and, accordingly, are losing out to them, Ramaphosa self-righteously declared: "South Africa is home to all". That line would most certainly earn anyone the highest reward for "Mr Nice Guy". But will it placate the wrath that some South African locals feel towards immigrants? I am willing to bet my whole sanity on the fact that it does not and, as a matter of fact, it did not. Julius Malema began the Economic Freedom Fighter's response by giving us all a brief lecture on the history of our 'colonial' borders, adding 'sagaciously' how this is all the mysterious work of 'white monopoly capital', and ended with an apology on behalf of South Africa to the leaders of the African nations whose people are affected by the violence. 

In Limpopo South African Vendas, however, have yet to get an apology for the looting of the VBS Bank in which business figures affiliated to the EFF are reported to have played a role. Anyway, this response too, in my humble opinion, proved futile as many average South Africans do not go around thinking about how the borders of Africa came to be drawn the way they are. That, unfortunately for the 'Commander-in-Chief', is a concern for the world of academia. Not that Malema would know any of this. Between squawking about 'white monopoly capital' and maintaining his bourgeois lifestyle of expensive champagnes and mingling with unscrupulous types like Adriano Mazzotti, I seriously doubt that he ever finds the time to actually ascertain the true concerns of his average compatriots. But, as evidenced by their everyday frustrations and anger, a great many of them strongly believe that the borders ought to be enforced - regardless of who drew them. 

The responses, devoid as they were of any meaningful solutions, given by both Malema and Ramaphosa and the frustrations they engender in their own countrymen on the ground reflect the ever-growing gap between what the people need from their their leaders and what their leaders are prepared and willing to give them.  This is not unique to our Republic. Britain and the catastrophe of 'Brexit' can be explained largely by the disconnect between what the British people need and what the British political establishment want. Just condemning violence against foreign nationals and stopping there will not work, empty platitudes like "South Africa is home to all'' or "No African is a foreigner in Africa" will not rid us of the scourge of xenophobia, and neither will ignoring the elephant in the room: uncontrolled immigration. I know this will earn me a number of unkind names from the 'woke' type, but I choose not to close off my ears to the trumpet of this elephant as our political elites have done  - to the detriment of the people they claim to represent. South Africa's borders are porous and have been like this for many years. Thus, illegal mass border crossings should be recognized as a national challenge for South Africa.

Statistics SA in 2011 found that there are about 2.2 million foreigners in South Africa. By the way, that number could be a lot higher as the Department of Home Affairs lacks the infrastructural and logistical capacity to count undocumented immigrants. As evidenced by the recent raids in some of the less attractive areas of the Johannesburg central business district by the South African Police Service, there is also a serious issue with crime perpetrated by foreign nationals, mostly with impunity as they are not easily traceable by the police due to the undocumented status of a significant number of them. Of course, the idea that the majority of crime in the country is committed by immigrants is a silly lie. However, dismissing this lie should not have to mean that the government turns a blind eye to the crime that foreign nationals do actually commit. It is only when the government ignores such crime that angry South African locals take the law into their own hands. 

Additionally, we also have to speak openly about the fact that in many townships and in a growing number of villages the majority of shops are owned by foreign nationals. Speaking about the high unemployment rate in South Africa in Parliament on the 5th, Vuyo Zungula President of the newly-minted African Transformation Movement (ATM), revealed how in Carolina, a town in Mpumalanga, more than 80% of the businesses were owned by non-South Africans. Now, that is scandalous! He found this quite unfair as in many other African countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania there exists legislation that prohibits non-citizens from participating in the informal sector, and prioritizes their own citizens and protects them from unfair competition in that space. No such protections exist in South Africa for South Africans, and local business owners have to compete with Chinese businesses whose government gives them monetary support. It is time for South Africa's leadership to admit that such realities do cause feelings of resentment and hostility between the local people and foreign nationals. 

It is also time that South African leaders make it clear to their African neighbours that their oppressive and brutal domestic policies that often drive their own people to seek protection from foreign lands must come to a stop. It would appear, at least as far as I am concerned, that it is not Julius Malema who should make an apology but, instead, it should be those African leaders. They should apologize for their dictatorial and illiberal policies that victimize their own countrymen (and women), treating them like vermin and driving many of them to despair. And as has been happening in the migration crisis of the Americas, uncontrolled immigration can only ever be dealt with successfully if all the affected countries cooperate inter-governmentally. Our own Republic suffers from an appalling rate of crime, a stagnant economy, crippling corruption and an ever-growing unemployment rate. Therefore, as Bongani Bongo chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs said recently, it is simply "untenable" that South Africa should have large numbers of undocumented immigrants. 

The Portfolio's so-called three-pronged approach is at least far better than the ludicrous platitudes offered by Malema and Ramaphosa. In order to safeguard South Africa's borders, the Committee intends to first speed up and complete the legislative-making process of the Border Management Authority. It also seeks to quickly address the issue of staff capacity at the woefully understaffed Immigration Services Inspectorate. Lastly, it promises to root out nefarious elements in the department by intensifying the war on forgery, bribery and corruption that have plagued Home Affairs since forever. As a South African and a firm believer in the Westphalian notion of national sovereignty, I welcome all these efforts by the chairman. However, I will curb my enthusiasm as the ANC - which has made corruption its trademark - is not to be easily trusted when it speaks of "fighting corruption". Besides, I have long noted the disdain and disregard that South Africa's political and cultural elite - who are in truth part of a broader globalist coalition - have shown to the frustrations that ordinary South Africans feel due to mass immigration into the country. 

And this also is quite easy to understand. It is quite convenient for them to self-righteously condemn their fellow compatriots for violence against foreigners from the comfort of their own gated, high-walled, multi-million rand estates. It is utterly convenient for them to call for the removal of borders when the influx of immigrants from other lands will not affect them in the tiniest bit, because their ill-gotten wealth can help them escape the consequences with absolute ease. Xenophobia will only ever be effectively grappled with the day our leaders admit that mass immigration is slowly eating away at the social fabric of the nation, that their corruption is deeply hurtful to the majority of their people and the vestigial legacies of apartheid that they have thus far dismally failed to fight continue to plague our communities. Violence against foreigners is wrong and should always be condemned. For our political leaders to condemn it AND not offer any meaningful and lasting solutions, however, is just as wrong. We need a brave and patriotic leader that will not only shy away from pointing out our wrongs as a nation, but also we deserve a leader that will remind us of our unique and tried strength as a people to triumph over evil. That leader will not be a man who thinks we should bow down and apologize to cruel African dictators and kleptocrats!