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ON THURSDAY morning, the Johannesburg-based popular morning radio talk show host, John Robbie, fielded a call from someone with a surname that Robbie gave the impression was rare in South Africa.
And Robbie asked the caller if the surname was Irish or Scottish. But the voice on the other end said the surname was actually Welsh.
Robbie’s conversation with this caller was fascinating in that Robbie, who is proudly Irish and has been working in South Africa for many years, was talking to someone who is proudly Welsh but lives in South Africa.
This prompted me to ask as to why Afrikaners, who often claim to be South Africans through and through, are not fighting or killing other foreign white nationals that are resident in this country, accusing them of all sorts of terrible things?
But Afrikaners found it hard to accommodate Africans from other sub-Saharan Africa. This is, however, a debate for another day.
Afrikaners, even before they were toppled from political power in South Africa, were always aware that foreign nationals brought with them skills that could bolster the country’s economy.
That is why they never felt threatened by their presence in the country. There is no doubt that Robbie, who is now most probably a naturalised South African, has made a huge contribution to this country’s sports and broadcast media.
Had the Afrikaners attacked him for being a foreign national when he landed here, I am sure Ireland would have benefited a lot from his skills.
What I want to highlight in this column is that Robbie’s conversation with the caller coincidentally happened after it emerged on the same show that acts of xenophobia were actually on the increase in South Africa since 2008 and news reports that xenophobia had reared its ugly head again in South Africa in the past week.
On Wednesday this week, violent clashes erupted in the East Pretoria township of Refilwe. Residents burned automobiles, a shop and ransacked small businesses and had running battles with the police. This followed the death of a 10-year-old boy, beaten to death allegedly by a foreign shop owner. The boy had allegedly stolen sweets.
Now foreigners claim to fear for their lives every day and claim they have been offered little protection from the authorities. Some of them have left the township with all their belongings following stealing of their goods overnight.
I agree with reports that these attacks have been on the increase in South Africa in the past seven years. Late last year, the Western Cape was burning together with the Vaal townships of Sebokeng, Sharpeville and others. All the attacks were against foreigners, particularly the Somali shopkeepers.
Even though the wheels of justice grind slowly in South Africa, I personally think residents of Refilwe and other townships should learn to leave the rule of law to the police and the courts and allow the other shopkeepers to continue business as usual. I really do not condone any form of violence.
Foreigners that conduct business in South Africa legally help boost the township economy, we are told. Now why would township dwellers expel these people?
Would it not be nice to have a proudly Kenyan person working hard in South Africa and paying taxes?
Would it not be great for South Africa to have Mozambican skills being utilised here to boost our economy?
This has happened successfully in many parts of the world, including the world’s biggest economy, the US.
Thousands of South African nurses, including one of my cousins, have taken their skills to the UK and bolstered the health system there. My cousin has never been attacked by residents there for being a foreign national.
The South African government should actually teach our citizens the benefits that come with legal business and good skills that foreigners bring to this country.
Hope xenophobia is nipped in the bud. Then we will have Africans from other parts of the continent not scared to name their nationalities. Just like Robbie and his guest.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is an independent journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
And Robbie asked the caller if the surname was Irish or Scottish. But the voice on the other end said the surname was actually Welsh.
Robbie’s conversation with this caller was fascinating in that Robbie, who is proudly Irish and has been working in South Africa for many years, was talking to someone who is proudly Welsh but lives in South Africa.
This prompted me to ask as to why Afrikaners, who often claim to be South Africans through and through, are not fighting or killing other foreign white nationals that are resident in this country, accusing them of all sorts of terrible things?
But Afrikaners found it hard to accommodate Africans from other sub-Saharan Africa. This is, however, a debate for another day.
Afrikaners, even before they were toppled from political power in South Africa, were always aware that foreign nationals brought with them skills that could bolster the country’s economy.
That is why they never felt threatened by their presence in the country. There is no doubt that Robbie, who is now most probably a naturalised South African, has made a huge contribution to this country’s sports and broadcast media.
Had the Afrikaners attacked him for being a foreign national when he landed here, I am sure Ireland would have benefited a lot from his skills.
What I want to highlight in this column is that Robbie’s conversation with the caller coincidentally happened after it emerged on the same show that acts of xenophobia were actually on the increase in South Africa since 2008 and news reports that xenophobia had reared its ugly head again in South Africa in the past week.
On Wednesday this week, violent clashes erupted in the East Pretoria township of Refilwe. Residents burned automobiles, a shop and ransacked small businesses and had running battles with the police. This followed the death of a 10-year-old boy, beaten to death allegedly by a foreign shop owner. The boy had allegedly stolen sweets.
Now foreigners claim to fear for their lives every day and claim they have been offered little protection from the authorities. Some of them have left the township with all their belongings following stealing of their goods overnight.
I agree with reports that these attacks have been on the increase in South Africa in the past seven years. Late last year, the Western Cape was burning together with the Vaal townships of Sebokeng, Sharpeville and others. All the attacks were against foreigners, particularly the Somali shopkeepers.
Even though the wheels of justice grind slowly in South Africa, I personally think residents of Refilwe and other townships should learn to leave the rule of law to the police and the courts and allow the other shopkeepers to continue business as usual. I really do not condone any form of violence.
Foreigners that conduct business in South Africa legally help boost the township economy, we are told. Now why would township dwellers expel these people?
Would it not be nice to have a proudly Kenyan person working hard in South Africa and paying taxes?
Would it not be great for South Africa to have Mozambican skills being utilised here to boost our economy?
This has happened successfully in many parts of the world, including the world’s biggest economy, the US.
Thousands of South African nurses, including one of my cousins, have taken their skills to the UK and bolstered the health system there. My cousin has never been attacked by residents there for being a foreign national.
The South African government should actually teach our citizens the benefits that come with legal business and good skills that foreigners bring to this country.
Hope xenophobia is nipped in the bud. Then we will have Africans from other parts of the continent not scared to name their nationalities. Just like Robbie and his guest.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is an independent journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
