Southern discomfort
If you were to go into a tourist shop in one of South Africa’s cities, often you may if you wish practise your French. Many of those working there are from Gabon, Senegal or the Congo, and are French speakers. The rainbow nation has attracted immigrants from all over Africa and like migrants frequently are, they are often very industrious.
However their numbers are insignificant compared with the human avalanche from the economic horrors of Zimbabwe. So an employment powder keg has begun to explode, with tragic consequences for some of the incomers.
Years ago we suggested that the South African government should take the strongest possible action against the destructive policies being pursued north of its border. We were told that this would greatly damage Zimbabwe’s citizens. Well we now know what a catastrophic misjudgement this was.
Being Opposition leader in South Africa, so overwhelmingly dominated by the ANC, is a thankless task. My friend Tony Leon did so energetically for many years, and constantly criticised the quiet diplomacy over Zimbabwe which yielded so little. He is in London at the moment, as the Opposition foreign affairs spokesman, and talks about Zimbabwe with real passion.
The unwillingness of some Southern African leaders to take on Robert Mugabe has now unleashed the sort of anger and xenophobia which we are now seeing. It must be absolutely terrifying for those poor Zimbabweans who have taken huge personal risks to cross the border. Of course they do not wish to be there, and they know that there is real antagonism towards them, given the high levels of unemployment. Locals also blame outsiders for criminal activity.
There is no country in the world whose success is more cherished then South Africa. Individuals like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are iconic figures of the Twentieth Century.
The violence being meted out inside Zimbabwe against those who oppose Robert Mugabe is well documented. For different reasons that poison has spilled southwards.
It is enough to make you weep.
Iain said on May 22nd, 2008 at 12:32 pm:
“Being Opposition leader in South Africa, so overwhelmingly dominated by the ANC, is a thankless task. ”
Which is not helped by the silence of our High Commissioner in South Africa, a Paul Boateng, who seems to have become a fully paid up member of the ANC.
“There has been such an echoing of Mbeki that opposition Democratic Alliance MPs have grumbled that Boateng “acts as if he’s a praise-singing ANC MP”. “
‘Particularly striking is Boateng’s silence about the two issues that have cost Mbeki support domestically and internationally: his scepticism about Aids and backing for President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Boateng is careful never to sound a critical note on either issue.’
‘Similarly, Boateng has never commented on Mbeki’s support for Mugabe’s dictatorial regime. “American diplomats have been absolutely outspoken about Mugabe’s human rights atrocities,” said Paul Mulanda, a Zimbabwean exile in Cape Town. “Why do the British kowtow to Mugabe like this?” If the police open prosecution proceedings against his son, the case will make banner headlines and it is thought unlikely that Boateng would survive for long in his job.’
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article788631.ece
Raymond Wilson said on May 22nd, 2008 at 3:42 pm:
I support British conservative ideas of the Enoch Powell kind.Under this labour government we have immigration out of control and many are asylum seekers from Zimbabwe.I don’t think Britain has done anything to stop the murders of Zimbabweans, both in South Africa and Zimbabwe,and Mugabe was once seen as a friend to the Farmers.
I cannot cope with hearing about all the suffering,as I originally came to britain from Zimbabwe in 1979.