The Chant of Savant

Wednesday 28 May 2008

Africans against Africans in South Africa !



With dismay and disbelief, I read the story that South Africans, in the city of Alexandra , killed two ’’foreigners’ and injured more than 40 others!

The BBC’s Mpho Lakaje in Alexandra says mobs chanted: ’’Drive all foreigners away�’’

Earlier this year, two foreigners were killed and 1,000 left homeless when their houses were burnt down outside the capital, Pretoria . This needs the courage of the mad.

After this mania the hell broke loose and tens of Africans were killed. Tanzania and Kenya were spared. There are reports some of our nationals were ruthlessly butchered. Those are the people we liberated really!

Due to my understanding of history, Africa was one until it was divided and partitioned by colonialist in 1884 in the City of Berlin.

Now that Africans, especially whose freedom was contributed to by almost all African countries, are turning against their liberators.

Something must be horribly wrong somewhere. Should we say: Is this attack caused by lack of understanding of the true history of Africa or self know how? Who are these foreigners? �We’re told they are from Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe! If South Africans be they gaga or otherwise can not see the quagmire Zimbabweans are in, they have to rethink their Africanness.

I think: it’s only in Africa where indigenous people are foreigners in their continent. This is too hot to handle if it is not be arrested in time. I still remember in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi how they live in slums whilst foreigners live in splash upper market suburbs!

Have South Africans forgotten that a few years ago they were refugees almost everywhere on the globe? In Tanzania, we still have many; and we don’t even call them refugees. They’re our brothers no matter what.

This reminds me of what often happens in Dar es Salaam. I could not believe to see city police chasing small scale traders, hawkers and other hand-me-down-turned citizens. When this happens, one sees Indian dukawallahs in their shops laughing.

I sadly still ask myself, who is supposed to be evicted so as to protect whom? If Africans from mentioned countries and other African countries are termed foreigners, then what of Indians, and Boers whose coming was facilitated by colonialists so as to sabotage us and weaken us in order to be easily ruled?

What of Chinese currently exported everywhere in Africa to reap the rewards of superpower-ship?

I just can’t understand this maniac. Essentially and sadly, what transpired in South Africa is yet another shame-cum-challenge to our rulers. We are told they are fighting over jobs believing many jobs in South Africa are taken by foreigners!

How many jobs do Indians and Chinese take? Isn’t this racism perpetrated by Africans against Africans? And indeed this has been an anathema to Africa.

In Tanzania almost every scandal involving billions of shillings involves Indians and rulers. They have ganged up to loot the country. What does this means? African rulers trust foreigners so as to award them everything. This is the same in Kenya. Refer to Goldenberg scam.

Now the common man in the street has rallied behind this injustice! I think instead of going against each other as the solution to our poverty, we should turn tables on our rulers that are heartily laughing at us as they shed crocodile tears with their conspirators.

The solution to whatever grievances Africans have will never come by the way of fighting their colleagues. Shall we visionary have big dreams in life; we must make our rulers answerable in lieu of shedding the blood of our kinships.

I’ve commented on many African affairs. But with the case in point, I fell small and dressed down. How should I if in Rwanda they butchered each other? How shouldn’t I if at all in Kenya, Burundi, Somalia, Pemba (Tanzania), Liberia, and now South Africa Africans are using machetes against each?

Is Africa becoming a man-eat-and-hate-man continent again? Africa needs to get tough at the putrid toff behind all miseries in lieu of hoi polloi against each.

The wisdom of today comes from Hillel. "If I am not for myself then who is for me? I am for myself alone, and then what am I? If not now then when?’’

Source: Thisday May 28, 2008.

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