The recent xenophobic attacks have left me shocked and wondering what kind of a nation we are.
A remark attributed to the City of Joburg Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba is alleged to have incited the attacks.
Last year in December, he said illegal immigrants should be treated as criminals. Xenophobic attacks have happened before, however, and correct me if I am wrong, this statement pours salt on a healing wound.
What scares me about this violence is the momentum it gains every day. Unfortunately, foreign nationals have been accused of being the cause of too many problems we face in our communities including the selling of drugs and the loss of jobs.
I’m not saying the allegations about Mashaba’s remark are true or not. I’m simply saying his statement elevates the situation. If I, as a South African, go live and work in another country for personal reasons I should not be attacked and accused of stealing jobs and causing problems in that society? Neither should those coming into our country.
All I know is that foreign nationals come to our country for a better life and most of them open tuck shops or small businesses in our communities.
One rotten potato does not mean all the potatoes are rotten.
Community leaders and government officials need to come together and find solutions before things get out of control. #stopxenophobicattacks #saynotoviolence
