I may be wrong, but all that needed to be said about the recent, oft-violent attacks on Mzansi citizens, African immigrants and illegal foreigners, has been said. I watch the news along with everybody, I read some of the papers, listen to the radio and pick up on Internet reports. The truth is, we are in a crisis, and only someone who’s been in the Amazon for the past month would deny it.
Many have expressed shock, dismay, disgust and disbelief at what has been happening. Mama Winnie Mandela went to see the victims soon after the trouble started. Jacob Zuma did the same, and so did Morgan Tsvangirai. Thabo Mbeki did not. Maybe he had more pressing matters to attend to, I don’t know. He did make a speech though, condemning the violence and everything. Then he left for Japan.
I’m actually more concerned with the actions of my people in Alex, in Ramaphosa, in Mamelodi, Diepsloot and elsewhere where brothers and sisters from other countries have been subjected to unbelievably inhumane conditions, thanks to us Mzansizens. We are a shameful lot, aren’t we? It’s like the mfecane all over again, “unwanted” tribes running all over the place because of thugs.
But funny enough, not all of us are concerned at all. One of my colleagues was relating a story of a cab driver who said just after dropping her off at home he’d head “straight to Alex and help beat up some immigrants.” I lie to you not. Young, black, strong man. Saying this in 2008. A caller phoned 702 and said ever since the attacks began, he and his neighbours have seen a sharp drop in criminal activity in their neighbourhood.
We are a sick nation. We are a nation that needs help on many fronts. For 14 years we have been lying to ourselves; we really aren’t a united, rainbow unit. Maybe we were at some point, for two minutes, but that’s over, it’s no more. What we are right now is a country divided along economic lines; either you have and you want to keep or you have not and you will do a lot to get. Hungry people become desperate quite quickly and more often than not, they turn to the closest people next to them. And since our leaders don’t live in Diepsloot or Holomisa squatter camps, it’s a bit hard to confront them directly on these issues.
I have written in a few other places about the importance of accountability in our government system. We currently don’t have any of it. If for example, everyone of us knew who exactly represented us in parliament, as in, which MP it is, where he/she comes from and so on, we’d be able to contact them directly when dissatisfied with aspects of their service. In fact, if some of them even had an inkling of a fear that their positions in parliament were threatened in the next election, we might see some real accountability real quickly. But the ruling party is still quite confident of a vast majority voting for it. Imagine for a second if more power went the other way, that 70% majority fell to just 55%. Don’t you think then that those in power would be a little bit worried for their jobs?
Many have expressed shock, dismay, disgust and disbelief at what has been happening. Mama Winnie Mandela went to see the victims soon after the trouble started. Jacob Zuma did the same, and so did Morgan Tsvangirai. Thabo Mbeki did not. Maybe he had more pressing matters to attend to, I don’t know. He did make a speech though, condemning the violence and everything. Then he left for Japan.
I’m actually more concerned with the actions of my people in Alex, in Ramaphosa, in Mamelodi, Diepsloot and elsewhere where brothers and sisters from other countries have been subjected to unbelievably inhumane conditions, thanks to us Mzansizens. We are a shameful lot, aren’t we? It’s like the mfecane all over again, “unwanted” tribes running all over the place because of thugs.
But funny enough, not all of us are concerned at all. One of my colleagues was relating a story of a cab driver who said just after dropping her off at home he’d head “straight to Alex and help beat up some immigrants.” I lie to you not. Young, black, strong man. Saying this in 2008. A caller phoned 702 and said ever since the attacks began, he and his neighbours have seen a sharp drop in criminal activity in their neighbourhood.
We are a sick nation. We are a nation that needs help on many fronts. For 14 years we have been lying to ourselves; we really aren’t a united, rainbow unit. Maybe we were at some point, for two minutes, but that’s over, it’s no more. What we are right now is a country divided along economic lines; either you have and you want to keep or you have not and you will do a lot to get. Hungry people become desperate quite quickly and more often than not, they turn to the closest people next to them. And since our leaders don’t live in Diepsloot or Holomisa squatter camps, it’s a bit hard to confront them directly on these issues.
I have written in a few other places about the importance of accountability in our government system. We currently don’t have any of it. If for example, everyone of us knew who exactly represented us in parliament, as in, which MP it is, where he/she comes from and so on, we’d be able to contact them directly when dissatisfied with aspects of their service. In fact, if some of them even had an inkling of a fear that their positions in parliament were threatened in the next election, we might see some real accountability real quickly. But the ruling party is still quite confident of a vast majority voting for it. Imagine for a second if more power went the other way, that 70% majority fell to just 55%. Don’t you think then that those in power would be a little bit worried for their jobs?
* thanks to Sokwanele for the pic.
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