MARTIN Luther King Jr once said “we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”.
It is distressing, disheartening and worrying to note that South Africa is now a breeding ground for violent vigilante groups and authorities are doing next to nothing to stop these unlawful, awful and barbaric acts.
The ANC-led government should put its house in order because xenophobia and Afrophobia is not new in South Africa.
On Monday, Operation Dudula members clashed with residents of an informal settlement in Kliptown in Soweto.
The Sowetan newspaper reported that one person was killed and others wounded — this time, all victims were South Africans. What is the meaning of all this?
It is shocking that African foreign nationals, especially Zimbabweans, are being blamed for attacking the Dudula members yet there is no meaningful or clear evidence to support these claims. I believe that these xenophobic acts are being driven by blind hatred. Nothing else!
This week, Operation Dudula leader Nhlanhla ‘Lux’ Dlamini tweeted: “We just got shot at with AK47s and R5s in Soweto! ‘Zimbabweans’ and Sotho Nationals opened fire in a SA community crowd that was attending to a cable theft. My guys got hit!”
But seriously how did he know that Zimbabweans were behind these shootings? Where is the evidence then?
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Their statements are baseless, worthless and unsupported by facts. Yes, their concerns may be genuine, but the problem is that they are misdirected.
The bulk of their problems have nothing to do with black foreigners. I also believe that undocumented immigrants have become the scapegoat of South Africa’s poverty and unemployment. And it is the South African government’s responsibility to tackle these societal ills. The ANC-led government should intervene and stop these growing vigilante groups as a matter of urgency.
Is the ANC losing the plot? I think the main issue is not about crimes being committed in the country, but it is clear that Africans, especially Zimbabweans, are no longer welcome in South Africa.
I have discovered that some South African politicians are sponsoring these pressure groups to take the law into their own hands. Their anti-immigrant sentiments have left many people with questions than answers.
In contrast, these actions are surely demonic and awful. Violence on blacks against blacks is pure evil.
All those behind these xenophobic attacks should be brought to book. The law must be tough on them. Let them face the wrath of the law.
Xenophobic elements should bury their heads in the sand in shame. No all foreigners are criminals. Crime does no have a nationality. –Terrence Mwedzi
ED achieved nothing, doesn’t deserve another term
IT is still worrying to note that there are some people who still have hope that Zanu PF will take the country to the Promised Land.
Since November 2017 when the late former President Robert Mugabe resigned after the Zimbabwe National Army’s intervention under Operation Restore Legacy, nothing has changed at all.
The actual fact is that the situation on the ground shows that things have gone from bad to worse.
We thought when Mugabe was deposed things were going to change for the betterment of the majority.
Basically, the prices of basic commodities have increased more than 100 folds, cash shortages still persist and to make matters worse, people are only allowed a weekly withdrawal of $5 000 which is worthless.
During his inauguration, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, promised more than 90% of the unemployed people jobs. In that same month, Mnangagwa gave himself a 100-day target and of all his promises nothing was fulfilled.
Its’ a surprise now to see some people supporting Mnangagwa’s presidential candidature in next year’s elections, yet he achieved nothing since 2017.
We are still facing the same problems we were experiencing, if not more.
Honestly, speaking Mnangagwa has proved to be worse than Mugabe and this also goes to show us that we only changed the driver, but the bus still remains the same and it continues to develop more mechanical defects.
At this point in time, it is now up to the people to think wisely, particularly when voting in 2023.-Mai Ruru
Why downplay Zipra role in liberation struggle
OUR children must be told a correct history of the liberation struggle than what is happening at the moment where history is being distorted.
If people talk about the liberation struggle, they must tell the true accounts to avoid misinformation.
We do not want anyone to tell it as they please because this is a very sensitive issue.
Our children must not be fed poison by those who did not participate in the war of liberation.
Some of us, pioneers of the liberation struggle, do not always want to talk even though we are the ones who should be telling the real history to the nation.
But I have realised that some elements are going too far.
It is high time we expose these liars. Those who like talking about the struggle are ignorant and the only honourable thing they should do is to shut up.
I have read a lot of false information about the role played by Zipra in liberating the country of which I was part of.
When we do not talk about these things it does not mean we are ignorant.
The truth is that we are tired of being fed lies.
There are so many lies and most of them involve Zipra. The endgame is to deflate Zipra’s role in the liberation struggle. However, we will not allow that to happen under our watch.
Ex-Zipra cadre and Retired Zimbabwe National Army Colonel Thomas Ngwenya
