Blame Poor South Africans’ Xenophobia on Jacob Zuma

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• Random Eye Movement 10 years ago

  The Economist's report of the incidence quotes a researcher at the African Centre for Migration and Society in Johannesburg as saying that at least 350 foreigners have been killed in xenophobic violence since 2008. Indeed, in ...
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  The Economist's report of the incidence quotes a researcher at the African Centre for Migration and Society in Johannesburg as saying that at least 350 foreigners have been killed in xenophobic violence since 2008. Indeed, in 2008, 62 people were killed in anti-foreign violence that also displaced 100,000 people.
  
  Jacob Zuma came to power in 2009. While his government can be blamed for not improving the conditions of black South Africans, the recent attacks cannot be "squarely" blamed on him. He is only partly to blame but even then too I don't think that is because he "spends too much time canoodling with women". A good leader can have several affairs and still manage the affairs of state well. Monica Lewinsky didn't prevent Clinton from presiding over a thriving economy...
  
  The problem seems to be in the nature of the South African black. This is a country that has seen immigrant labour for centuries. One would think they would be used to foreigners - or perhaps that is why they are rather fed up with them? The recent attacks have been against recent immigrants.
  
  The problem seems to be intractable. Even if the economy improves and there are jobs for South Africans, that hatred for foreigners will still reside in their hearts. An improved SA economy will, in turn, invite more foreigners and more hatred.
  
  What should be done now is increased police vigilance and protection of foreigners. And that is the government's duty - Zuma's government.
  
  The long term solutions should be the improvement of other African economies. This will solve many problems including the desperate efforts to cross the Mediterranean in search of greener pastures.
  
  But South Africa needs to take a real stock of itself that goes far beyond Zuma's four wives...

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• C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago

  Thanks for reminding Daniel that these xenophobic attacks on other Africans by S. African blacks predated Zuma. I was dumbfounded to read some of what Daniel wrote.
  
  Whereas Zuma can be blamed for the lukewarm reaction to t ...
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  Thanks for reminding Daniel that these xenophobic attacks on other Africans by S. African blacks predated Zuma. I was dumbfounded to read some of what Daniel wrote.
  
  Whereas Zuma can be blamed for the lukewarm reaction to the initial attacks - failing to deploy the full force of the Police and the Military -
  he cannot be be faulted as the cause of the xenophobia, the seed of which was planted during the apartheid era. I need to write my own full article to explain this.
  
  Ironically, the bestiality we are seeing exhibited by S. African blacks who had been brainwashed by successive Apartheid regimes to see themselves as superior to the rest of Africans and were lucky to be living in SA, and shldn't even see themselves as savage Africans up north who were being ruled by brutal dictators and engaged in killing each others off on a industrial scale in all kinds a of civil wars compared to what happened at Sharpeville, simply demonstrated SA African blacks have come into the African fold! They are simply behaving like fellow Africans up north!
  
  Anybody heard of Busia and the Alliances Compliance Order? Black Maria incidences in Nigeria and Ivory Coast? Sacking of Ghanaians from Nigeria and the many order expulsions in other African countries? We can breath a with relief that the outrages were not state organised as it were the case in all these cases?
  
  As I write, I bet some mentally jaded Akan has written on Ghanaweb about deporting Ewes to Togo for taking their jobs and what not! And, Pryce is writing what against Zumah and SA?
  Let's deal with our own xenophobia first before blaming others.
  
  Andy-K

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• C.Y. ANDY-K 10 years ago

  Anybody heard of Busia and the Aliens Compliance Order? Black Maria incidences in Nigeria and Ivory Coast? Sacking of Ghanaians from Nigeria and the many order expulsions in other African countries? We can breath a with relie ...
  read full comment

  Anybody heard of Busia and the Aliens Compliance Order? Black Maria incidences in Nigeria and Ivory Coast? Sacking of Ghanaians from Nigeria and the many order expulsions in other African countries? We can breath a with relief that the outrages were not state organised as it were the case in all these cases?

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• SIDNEY COAD WILLIAMS 10 years ago

  THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE AND THAT IS THE HUMAN RACE. SOURCES: THE BIBLE CLAIMS THAT GOD CREATED ADAM AND EVE OUR ALLEGED CORE ANCESTORS.
  THE EVOLUTIONISTS CLAIM THAT HUMANS EVOLVED IN AFRICA.
  REGARDLESS OF YOUR CHOICE THE FA ...
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  THERE IS ONLY ONE RACE AND THAT IS THE HUMAN RACE. SOURCES: THE BIBLE CLAIMS THAT GOD CREATED ADAM AND EVE OUR ALLEGED CORE ANCESTORS.
  THE EVOLUTIONISTS CLAIM THAT HUMANS EVOLVED IN AFRICA.
  REGARDLESS OF YOUR CHOICE THE FACT REMAINS THAT ALL HUMANS ARE ANCESTRALLY RELATED. LET US PROMOTE LOVE AND ELIMINATE HATE. GO WELL MY ANCESTRAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

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• Legon Observer 10 years ago

  The entire ANC leadership of today, unlike Mandela, is thoroughly corrupt and does not care about the plight of the suffering South African masses. Most of them are billionaires! They sit on the Boards of the big white multin ...
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  The entire ANC leadership of today, unlike Mandela, is thoroughly corrupt and does not care about the plight of the suffering South African masses. Most of them are billionaires! They sit on the Boards of the big white multinational corporations, and as we saw in the Marikana Massacre, the ANC government did not hesitate to order the police to shoot dead striking miners apartheid police style. The South African police have even beaten and teargassed anti-xenophobia South Africans demonstrating for an end to the carnage and mob violence against foreigners. It's been reported that one of Zuma's sons has expressed support for the violent attacks.
  
  It is widely believed that the ANC leadership supports the violence too, hoping it will give an outlet to citizen frustration with the high unemployment and failure of the ANC government to improve the standard of living of the average South African.

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