Maravi

(HERALD) Xenophobia is not the answer

Xenophobia is not the answer

EDITOR — Anyone familiar with political developments in South Africa will not be surprised by the outbreak of xenophobia in the black community. President Thabo Mbeki is on record saying his anguish was what to do when he has two economies; one which is of the First World while the other is of the Third World. What he was referring to as the First World is the one dominated by five million mainly whites while the third world one is mainly for 40 million blacks.

The problem has been that about 70 000 blacks have been assimilated into the First World economy and these are mainly from the African National Congress while the rest are trying to climb the ladder without success.

As the whole of Africa is embroiled in one form of civil unrest or the other, South Africa offered a safe haven for many displaced foreign blacks.

But many people did not understand that black South Africans have also been refugees stuck in Bantustans and were now returning home after the first democratic elections in 1994.

It is now competition for jobs and space between the South Africans from the Bantustans and foreign blacks especially from the neighbouring countries whose economies bore the brunt of a South African apartheid government which did not like the political leadership of those countries.

By destroying the economies of neighbouring countries for their support of black South African political movements, the apartheid regime was sowing the seeds of migrant labour into South Africa which now has turned this competition for space and a few jobs in the South African economy into xenophobia.

If apartheid South Africa had left the independent states surrounding it to develop their economies, there would never been any migration of foreign blacks into South Africa.

Xenophobia is not the answer for those who find themselves in the Third World economy.

Even if the black foreigners returned to their countries, those in the Third World economy would still fight among themselves and the violence may spread to those enjoying the First World economy, whites and a few affluent blacks.

African Economist.
Harare.

Labels: SOUTH AFRICA, XENOPHOBIA, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 7:38 PM