Opinion: South Africans must face some Harsh Truths #001

Photos and videos of widespread looting and arson of shops and businesses owned by foreign nationals in South Africa look like scenes from an apocalyptic movie.

At least seven people have been killed in this latest riot, and hundreds have been arrested in connection with the violence.

All this time, we South Africans have been hanging our heads in shame, and in recent days, #SayNoToXenophobia and other similar hashtags have been noted in the country.

South Africa is no stranger to xenophobia

In 2008, the world watched in horror as more than 60 people were killed in an attack on foreigners in South Africa. This turned out to be more than an isolated incident: xenophobia has been lurking in the country for the past decade, rearing its ugly head every couple of years.

The latest outbreak of violence occurred just this week. It started on Sunday evening in Jeppestown, a suburb of Johannesburg. Reports say the violence was caused by a reaction to the deaths of at least two people in a building fire.

The attacks then spread to other areas of Johannesburg, including its central business district, Malvern, Tembiza, Katlehong, and Alexandra - all typically working-class neighborhoods where foreign nationals live and work.

Whereas President Cyril Ramaphosa has been criticized for dragging his feet in response to previous cases of violence, this time he condemned it relatively quickly.

"Any South African can have no excuse to attack people from other countries," he said in a video posted on Twitter on Tuesday. Ramaphosa said attacks on businesses owned by "foreign nationals are something completely unacceptable, something that we cannot allow in South Africa."

"I want this to stop immediately," he added.

However, that's not enough for an Uber driver to give me a ride home on Wednesday.

"If this had happened when Zuma was president," he said, referring to former South African and ANC politician Jacob Zuma, "he would have spoken to us in person or at least on national television."

Africans in other places are outraged by the attacks

From the Zambian students going to the South African High Commission to the South African Embassy in Nigeria, which is temporarily closed due to the protests, the rest of Africa is unhappy.

Radio stations stopped playing South African music, and the Zambia Football Association canceled a friendly match against Bafan Bafan, the South African national team.

Nigerian artists Tiwa Savage and Berna Boy also organized a cultural boycott of South Africa.

South African businesses were closed in Zambia and Nigeria. Nigerian Airlines offers free flights home to Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa.

The Nigerian Government has boycotted the World Economic Forum, currently taking place in Cape Town.

The shame of being a South African

For us South Africans, this is an awkward and shameful situation.

The national conversation is grim. News about xenophobia is inevitable. This is in newspapers, on television, on social media, and in conversations with water coolers at work and in schools.


Even WhatsApp groups are full of disturbing images of violence, including warnings about safety in areas that should be avoided due to violence.

South Africans have nowhere to turn. We are sad and angry. Neither South Africans nor foreign citizens feel safe in the current socio-political conditions.

Having been praised around the world for our peaceful defeat of apartheid and progressive constitution, we are not so loved on the African continent itself. Join Allstarcasino and claim generous bonuses today.