It's Called Xenophobia

Amazing, isn't it, that the South African government which steadfastly refuses to turn on its old ally in Zimbabwe, even with the certain knowledge that thousands upon thousands of Zimbabweans are suffering from malnutrition, insecurity, political assaults, mass unemployment, runaway inflation, scarce commodities as long as Robert Mugabe remains in power, now must turn its attention to mobs of marauding South African youth victimizing Zimbabwean immigrants.

The world did get a comforting view of South African dock workers refusing to unload the Chinese registered ship An Yue Jiang, when it prepared to dock there with a hold full of armaments. that kind of compassionate solidarity expressed by workers on behalf of their unfortunate brethren in Zimbabwe was heart-warmingly welcome.

Unfortunately, a way can always be found to carry out the will of a seriously repressive state. with the callous collusion of similarly-minded people and rights-oppressive states elsewhere. One complicit turn obligates the receiver to future returns should the need arise. And that same ship, docked in Angola, was cleared of its bombs, grenades and bullets and the armaments flown on to Zimbabwe.

Where the winner of the Zimbabwe election has been unable to return to the country from his journeys across the region in pursuit of elusive support from neighbouring states to prepare for the run-off second-round poll slated for June because of an attempt by the army and the police in Zimbabwe to assassinate him. Their ongoing concern for their own security is highly dependent on the current regime's longevity.

Morgan Tsvangerai and his Movement for Democratic Change have been lobbying the Southern African Development Community to send peacekeepers to Zimbabwe, to ensure a fair run-off, and a peaceful transition of power to the winner. Government thugs loyal to Robert Mugabe have been roaming those areas supportive of the MDC, terrorizing people to "soften them up" for the vote.

And in South Africa, recognized now as the world's most violently crime-ridden country, roaming groups of young thugs in the hundreds have been targeting foreigners who have settled in the country. Machete-and-gun-bearing mobs roam the run-down parts of Johannesburg in search of helpless migrants, killing and maiming those they find.

While South African president Thabo Mbeki has announced the comfort of an investigative panel set up to "look into" the deadly xenophobic attacks, and the South African Red Cross has launched an effort to help displaced people - the estimated three million refugees from Zimbabwe who fled political repression and starvation - the opposition leader deplores the deadly assaults.

"We should be the last people to have this problem of having a negative attitude toward our brothers and sisters who come from outside", he declared, in obvious allusion to the support outlawed ANC members under Apartheid received, sheltered by neighbouring countries in their battle against racism in South Africa.

Doctors Without Borders in Johannesburg described the intensifying violence as gangs of youth raided homes in their search for foreigners. Gangs of one hundred to three hundred youth break into homes and shacks, threatening, assaulting and killing those whom they apprehend. Throwing people from balconies; setting fire to people wrapped in their belongings.

Who might have imagined the violent hatred that could be exuded against a helpless, homeless population by indigenous people who have themselves lived through the rigours of a tenuous existence against decent odds of rising above historical adversity?