Saturday, June 21, 2008

Xenophobia the harsh reality - A privileged persons perspective

June 2008
As I observed the images of violent excruciating deaths that saturated our news I was horrified and confounded.
How could this be happening Black Africans attacking Black Africans? What about Ubuntu?
The boiling frog syndrome diluted my deep anguish for the victims – most South Africans have feared gratuitous violence for so long they have begun to take it as part of normal life.
The high, electrified walls around my house gave me a brief illusion of separation - I live in a different more civilized world than the pictures showed.
I searched for answers and could not find them. I needed someone to blame so I drew up a list of culprits
1. The President and his Government.
The government announced they had been aware of the risk through the National security services. They claimed this was the work of a minority of criminals and deployed the army to quell the violence. This highlighted how disconnected our political leadership are from society – it helped me understand what happened in Polokwane.
2. Lack of leadership.
Where were the Biko’s , the Hani’s and the Mandela’s visiting conflict areas and leading by example.
2. Incompetent Immigration Policy
Skills deficit, corruption and incompetence in home affairs with resultant shambolic state of immigration policy . Lack of education of the electorate on the ills of homophobia.
3. Poverty and the Competition for Resources
Poor service delivery by local authorities and inadequate access to education, water, sanitation, health care and housing and consequent competition for resources (exacerbated by rapid urbanization).
4. Apartheid
The old scapegoat of Apartheid and its violent legacy must stand up and be counted. Shame the boere are punch drunk and they would surely deny culpability. I say they are the reason for so much shit in our past they have to be on the list.
5. Breakdown of social Structure
There can be no doubt that breakdown of the family unit due to migrant labour and HIV/Aids has played a huge role.
6. Imperialism
Colonial exploitation of Africa and dispossession the masses from their land would have to be on the list even if a bit dated.
7. Capitalism and Western Culture
The vast inequalities in our economy is a major issue, the fact that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer places the Capitalists and their system high on the list of culprits. If this is true then daily headlines of massive windfalls of wealth for a new black elite can’t be helping perceptions.
I have no doubt that our consumerist culture and consequent focus on hedonistic gods of wealth and fame plays a big part.
I can’t help asking myself where are the Black philosophers who can distil the magic of African indigenous society and present this to us and the rest of the world as a proud contribution to solving the challenges we all face.
9. The Media
Why should the media escape accusation? They thrive on selling bad news – then again this is more of a consequence than a cause - so they get let off.
10. The Church
The Faith organisations have been conspicuous in their absence – given that the vast majority of our population frequently attend worship gatherings – they are on the list by virtue of omission rather than commission.
11. Racism
I can hear some of my rich white acquaintance’s saying “ the Coons are really screwing up the Country”. Racism and skepticism are two of the largest obstacles to developing trusting relationships in society and the development of social Capital essential to stable communities. The bigots are high on the list and one of the most dangerous for reasons I will give below.
Lets assume all of the above factors share some degree of blame; this does not explain the gratuitous violence that accompanied the Xenophobia. Humankind’s propensity for violence is legendary consider Bosnia, Iraq, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Tribalism or bigotry is the eye of the stream that turns into the flood of genocide. Victims are justified in attacking their oppressors and in the process become equally guilty of the sin of violence. This is a universal demon which produces hell on earth as we have recently witnessed.
I can’t think of anyone else to blame and neither can I alienate myself from this hell of prejudice and violence - my inner conscience will not free me. It would be so much easier if I could rationalize what I saw as a weakness in someone else. I want to blame someone else’s tribe to exonerate my own. The harder I try to distance myself the closer I come to assuming the identity of the demon. My efforts seem like those of a savage animal trying to bight off it’s own limb.
This desire for separation and blame assumes the same identity of the Xenophobe. I am forced to examine my own heart and I see a picture of the smiling panga murderer.
I have not loved my neighbor I have tried to abandon him! That I have not resorted to violence is merely a question of degree.
The Crux of the matter is what do I do now?