Xenophobia? I think not!

There seems to be a general consensus (if the SA media is anything to go by) that what is happening in Alexandra township and what has happened in several other townships around South Africa, is Xenophobia. Xenophobia is apparently the dislike of foreigners. It is this dislike apparently that is the cause of the attack on all manner of ilks of people as is currently going on in Alexandra.

I'm always amazed by how there always seem to be a rush to give a name to all manner of things - events, groups of people, behaviour patterns, etc. What is more amazing is that once a name is given it almost seems that the issue is dealt with or is now easy to deal with because we have given it a name. What this naming frenzy also does is to limit the scope of analysis of what are the facts surrounding whatever issue it may be. The name in question where Alexandra is concerned is Xenophobia. So it should follow (based on the above definition I gave to the word) that once the dislike of foreigner is replaced with the liking of foreigners, that will be the end of the issue - bam!

The facts seem to suggest to me a different scenario altogether. It seems to me that the attacks on the people (I'm not certain whether all victims of the attack are foreigners) is not because they are foreigners. This is at least what some of the residents of Alexandra (some of whom are perpetrators of the attacks or supporters of the attacks at the least) interviewed on television news reports say. The victims are apparently attacked because they are, according to their assailants, involved in all manner of crimes which in turn have made Alexandra an unsafe place to live. Presumably, if the victims were your garden variety law-abiding residents of Alexandra, there would have been no cause to attack them, be they foreigners or not.

It has also been suggested that the victims have and continue to take work away from the locals. This is a difficult one to deal with but similarly all unemployed, law-abiding residents of Alexandra would have been spared the humiliation and pain, be they foreigners or not.

It is in this context I presume that the response of the Minister of Safety and Security was, among others that we should seek to educate our fellow citizens about love and peace among African brothers and sisters. I cannot help but be upset at this but then again, I am not in the minister's shoes which all things considered must be pinching - somewhat. What with the dissolution of the scorpions and so on. Having said that, no amount of education and cajoling is going to make any difference where the marauding gangs of Alexandra are concerned. Let us have a national pause and rewind a little here. Our townships have a history of attacking, maiming and killing those that we do not agree with. We do not even have to hear what they are saying for us to disagree with them, we just have to give them a name and voila! they are fit to be persecuted. The victims have had different names over the years, there were the sell-outs, mazimzim, udf, anc, azapo, inkatha, hostel residents, township residents, etc.

As for the "foreigners are bringin crime to Alexandra", well were it not for the tragedy of the present circumstances I would laugh. From the days of young Trevor Huddleston and even younger Hugh Masikela, this township (affectionately referred to as such) has had crime as an issue to be dealt with. The recent history of Alexander is one so much associated with crime that there can be no basis to suggest that crime in whatever form in Alexandra can be as a result of the influx into Alexandra of people who were not born in South Africa. South Africans of all hues have been happily buying stolen cars, radios, tv's and all manner of things in Alexandra for a long time. In any event honest folks report criminals to the police and report crime to the investigating agencies, they do not turn into criminals in the supposed fight against crime! What is more sad is that in all probability nothing will happen to the perpetrators.

There are of course foreigners who owing to the rather poor law-enforcement track record of the SA police, have made this country their comfortable criminal home. There is of course a lot we can do about crime and criminals. By the way, sending a million men to Pretoria is simply not one of them, and I say this with respect. The attack on the victims in Alexandra is a function of hatred of self. The individuals who carried out and who continue to carry out these attacks in my view fail to take personal responsibility for where they find themselves. They now seek to place blame for their lot in life at the door of the weak and the marginalised. Insofar as there are employers out there who are engaging in unlawful employment practices, honest folks will report them to the labour department and hold the department to account. How else is the rhetoric that foreigners "steal our jobs" sustained?

We are all paying dearly for a believe (made porpular in the 80s) that you could with impunity kill those you do not agree with or those who belong to a political organisation you deem illegitimate. If there is any education to be spoken of dear Minister, it is for the leadership to speak openly about that part of our painful history and how it can be reversed.

Xenophobia? methinks 'tis bad-old garden variety self-hating criminals! Now how about speedy, public and effective prosecution? By the way, does anyone know if any similar crimes have been perpetrated on white foreigners - Lolly Jackson doesn't count, besides I beilieve he is being prosecuted. Go figure.

I guess it is tough being black and foreign.