Not so long ago there was a spate of xenophobic attacks taking place all over South Africa. During this time foreign shop owners had their shops looted or burnt down, still other foreign nationals were beaten and some even killed.
It’s understandable that with such a large unemployment rate in South Africa, its jobless citizens may be unhappy. They may also feel like foreign nationals receive preference when it comes to jobs and perhaps they even feel threatened by the amount of foreign owned spaza and tuckshops popping up in their neighbourhoods. But instead of getting angry and going on a rampage why not see this as healthy competition and better themselves? Why not start their own spazas to compete and find ways to develop their skills? If not that then surely there has to be a more suitable platform to voice their dissatisfaction.
How different is this to what was experienced during Apartheid? These people may not be discriminated against because of their race this time around but they certainly are being picked on based on where they are from. How can this be condoned? “They are taking our jobs” is just not a good enough excuse.
How many South Africans live and work in other African countries? Yet I have not heard of anyone complaining about South Africans taking their jobs. This behaviour is completely barbaric and something needs to be done to end this. It just cannot be ignored. Where is that ubuntu that people so proudly speak of? How can people beat and kill their fellow Africans for trying to better their lives, for providing for their families?
It saddens me so much because these attacks not result in bad publicity for South Africa but they just serve to show just how inhumane we as people really are. These are people’s mothers, fathers and children being assaulted and killed. Please Jesus intervene.
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