The bloodbath is over, apparently all quiet on the southern front.
The death toll has reached 62 (some people take longer to die). The
"Burning Man" has been identified and buried (35-year old Ernesto
Nhamuave of Mozambique). Zimbabwean billionaires who remain less than
optimistic about their own country's blossoming future and negligible
inflation rate continue to find holes in the border fence and flock to
South Africa in droves. "'There has been a clear increase in the number
of Zimbabweans trying to cross the border illegally into South Africa
since the March 29 election', the SA National Defence Force said."
Ill-managed (if at all) refugee camps have been set up, with
neighbouring squatters complaining that the foreigners they tried to
kill or evict are now receiving better treatment and housing
(UN-sponsored tents) than those native to South Africa. "Displaced
people have travelled from as far afield as Durban and Cape Town - some
even by plane - to become part of the camp in Klerksoord near Rosslyn,
and be registered by the United Nations."
Meanwhile, Somalis stranded in the Soetwater refugee camp claim
otherwise, citing depression and hunger as a reason for jumping into the
Atlantic Ocean to drown their fears of repatriation.
As for the motive behind the madness, there are some reports and
theories that claim there's a supposed "third force" at work which
attempts to undermine the South African government. Yeah, sure! It's
just a couple of German football-mad neo-nazi right-wing AWB-sympathetic
hooligans down south of the Limpopo who simply want to delay the
building of the infrastructure that'll eventually host the 2010 FIFA
World Cup so that it'll default back to being hosted in Deutschland once
more and they can re-live their "Sommermärchen" from 2006 and boost the
local economy.
"Black-on-black violence"?
Actually, "it's broke-on-broke violence," US actor-comedian Chris Rock
said at a news conference in South Africa. "It's broke people robbing
each other. That's the sad thing."
"Analysts say the attacks partly reflect rising frustration among locals
who have watched foreigners - some of them in the country illegally -
take jobs because they are either prepared to accept less pay or are
better qualified."
It's poverty that causes xenophobia, just like poverty (not HIV) that is
responsible for AIDS. They're all rumours, of course... the ANC, under
the capable leadership of Jacob Zuma and sometimes President Thabo
Mbeki, has everything under control.
Alan Paton is probably rotating in his grave, crying "Fuck this beloved
country!"
South Africa has lost its mind. Blame the brain drain. Or apartheid.
Blame anything, as long as you can blame something other than your own
ineptitude.
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