GOVERNMENT MUST LISTEN TO PLIGHT OF OUR CITIZENS FIRST

IN THE context of South Africa, it is impossible to address the injustices of the past while still trying to deal with the massive influx of economic migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Millions of people are suffering, (including) the foreigners and locals who accommodate them.

Civil society must be proactive as politicians are limited by fear of being seen as instigators of civil unrest and civil rights movements are limited by conflict of interest.

Immigration is viewed as a threat to self-determination and therefore a threat to nationality, ethnicity and culture and this causes conflict because by nature people look after their own.

The importance of ethnicity and race to an individual’s identity, referred to as centrality, represents a relatively stable perception of the significance one attributes to one’s ethnic background – language, culture, nationality and racial origin.

As much as we have a lot in common as a human race, we also have profound differences that do not make it easy to adjust to such a huge paradigm shift.

Xenophobia is not just hatred of foreign nationals. It is also a result of hopelessness borne out of fear of ethnic contamination, erosion of nationality and culture and eventual takeover.

Some foreign nationals have shown contempt for South Africans by engaging in drug trafficking, exploiting young men and women, false religiosity, etc.

Mass migration is caused by political ambition of power-hungry tyrants and has a ripple effect. Leaders are still holding to the outdated and ineffective policy of non-interference. This must be the one and only reason for intervention to force the perpetrators to stick to their mandate and restore peace, order, safety and security.

While South Africa is a beacon of hope for others, it is an epitome of despair for millions of South Africans. The government must listen to the plight of the poor and destitute South Africans. Bongani Yona | Muizenberg