WE condemn, in the strongest sense, the attacks and killing of foreign nationals in South Africa, especially in Kwazulu Natal Province and particularly in Durban.
We also wish to call upon the leadership of that country to act responsibly by taking immediate steps to stop these criminal behaviour by some South Africans against foreign nationals. The authorities in that country need to act to stop the barbaric acts against innocent foreign nationals and help prevent and stem further loss of properties and life.
Reports of some politicians in that country issuing irresponsible and inflammatory statements against foreigners as they campaign for the May 9 general elections should also be condemned in the strongest terms possible. We also are aware that some politicians may be desperately trying to gain support in the campaign and may be careless with their statements but we would like to warn them to always bear in mind that any careless remarks against foreign nationals living in that country has potential to spark heightened hatred again them, destruction of property and life.
We would therefore advise the politicians there to always try to tame their tongues. What surprises us is the fact that this is the fourth time xenophobic attacks are happening in South Africa (2008, 2015 and 2016) and yet no one seems to be serious about taking steps to put a permanent stop to the barbaric attacks against innocent foreign nationals. It is imperative that the political leadership of that country take
serious steps to end the criminal behaviour.
The attacks against the foreign nationals cannot be justified in any way because their presence in that country is certainly not the reason why some South Africans are not without jobs or are living in poverty. Most of those foreign nationals being harassed and killed are law abiding people living in that country legally and in fact running their own private businesses which even employ South Africans.
The xenophobic attacks, in our view, are simply a sign of frustration, intolerance and ingratitude to the fellow Africans that greatly sacrificed to get South Africa liberated from its long struggle against the apartheid regime.
Leaders need to engage their people, especially the youth, and make them understand the role that the African countries played in their country’s struggle for independence. The young South Africans need to be made to understand the foreign nationals whose blood they shed today, actually stood side by side with them when they engaged in the liberation struggle, and willingly supported them in a comradely manner, to the point of shedding blood. The people they today refer to as “makwerekwere” hosted their freedom fighters in their homes and neighbourhoods and treated them with great kindness. They ate with them as brothers and sisters and
drank with them as fellow Africans because they understood that racism is inhuman and unAfrican. Let the South Africans be made aware of the reprimand God made against the Jews in Leviticus 19:34 when He stated “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord.” South Africans must learn to embrace fellow African in the very same manner they were embraced in other countries during their struggle for liberation. What they should live never top forget are the great sacrifices that those foreign nationals had to make to get them to where they are today.
