As the riots in South Africa continues, so does the comparison with the former Apartheid regime. Although this time around it is the oppressed which has become the oppressors.
So far 50 people have been killed and over 25,000 has fled their homes in relation to the xenophobic riots which surfaced two weeks ago. And although the South African government even sought to bring in the army to stabilise the riots, the violence continues.
President, Thabo Mbeki continues to condemn the violence as an “absolute disgrace that has blemished the countries name.”
But critics of the government continue to blame the government for their failure in not admitting that the riots are a result of their own their foreign and immigration policies. Unemployment rates in South Africa are as high as 30 percent and out of a population of 49 million, between 3 and 5 million are foreigners.
However, no reasoning can justify the actions of inhumanity which is going on in South Africa. One South African blogger wrote: “We are an intolerant, racist and xenophobic nation with a short and selective memory.”
Without going so far that I tend to pass judgment on the South African populations, it is thus hard to comprehend how the people which only few years back needed help from a gathered international community now are attacking those who come to their nation for help from political oppression at home.
The South African Human Rights Commission said: “South Africa must pass a hate crime law, sign and ratify the International Convention on the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families, as one of the measures to deal with xenophobia.”
It might be possible to comprehend the frustration and anger which have built up among the poor and unemployed South Africans. But we should not forget that similar signs also surface other places and it continues to amaze me how we keep blaming those who are even less fortunate than ourselves when something change or goes wrong in society. That seem to be a universal pattern of reaction and we should all be ashamed.
