Our belief in Ubuntu contradicts xenophobia

XENOPHOBIA is described as the fear or hatred of foreigners, people of different cultures or strangers.

There is a simple African saying: “No matter how hot the water from your well, it will not cook your rice.”

It simply implies that a movement is characterised by its internal characteristics and not its external appearances.

This may very well be the analysis of the current conflict in what is termed xenophobic violence in South Africa.

Ubuntu is a bedrock of the African continent. A principle and value of African society that seeks to care and build a society, a nation, a continent and a future.

It does not harbour the intentions of division among the African people, let alone the oppressed people of the globe.

This, therefore, does not make us a nation of inherent haters compounded by fear.

The movement of people within the continent and from outside its borders is not unique to South Africa, as it is across the globe.

The intention of many to seek a better life, or for the purposes of employment and economic opportunity, migration both within our borders and from the outside have allowed for the creation of a skills exchange and development. It is thus that it may not be that all individuals who cross provinces or borders do so with ill intent and for the purpose of illegal activity.

This, however, does not necessarily mean that ill intent is void. This also requires that, inasmuch as our borders are open and welcome to African brothers and sisters, they must equally be protected against any form of danger to our nation.

I recently attended a programme on human trafficking.

Much to my dismay the presenter, an expert, demonstrated (via video footage), the locations and activities of Nigerians who transported young, drugged girls into places of indecency all across the country.

The reality of their lack of respect and abuse of unsuspecting young women devastated me.

My stomach turned when the subsequent video went on to demonstrate a group of Nigerians, who had invited the SAPS to watch as they performed a ritual of “muti”, called “Juju”, to mark their presence and their occupation of newly acquired premises.

This invitation was to warn the police in that vicinity that their criminal territory was off-limits to law enforcement.

The fear of “Juju” is greater than any other. As we watched with dry mouths, the SAPS officers turned their vehicles and drove off.

I have taken time to internalise that, inasmuch as migration has become part of our global culture, it does not follow that crime is a consequence. Neither does it suggest that crime flows from migration. It does, however, mean that we will not be blindsided by the realities of a porous border or immigration system that provides an enabling environment for crime to become rampant.

I do not believe that South Africa is a nation consumed by hate and, to assume that, would be to conclude that the nation lacks self-confidence. It may be that the assertion of a “third force” which once characterised the 2008 xenophobic violence was, indeed, at hand with the primary objective to diminish the standing and efforts of South Africa among its own people, the continent and the world.

The recent events in the country are a reminder of what has been termed xenophobia in the anticipation of creating fear among South Africans and to Africans and those of other descents since 1994.

The common perception that xenophobia in South Africa complies with its definition is not a natural conclusion.

Our responsibility as citizens is to look beyond the fallacious nature of media reports and address the reality of what the majority of South Africans and Africans face in their daily struggle for survival.

The battle on the ground has become manifold. From a fight against exclusion from employment in competition with those who opportunities are greater, due to their flexibility and subsequent flouting and exploitation of the minimum wage, leaves South Africans at the bitter end of opportunity.

This reduces their economic opportunities, their social standing remains unaltered and their hopes for a better life are diminished.

This battle for basic survival relating to access of economic opportunities, employment, occupation of property and land, drug trade, criminality, and collusion with informal labour brokers with financial interests and being paid below the minimum wage results in frustration and ultimately conflict.

The current state of the economy has greatly divided the majority of the nation from employment, entrepreneurship, basic access to decent living conditions, education and living free from crime.

The above conditions do not qualify categorising our people as xenophobic. It is the harshest misrepresentation of our value system and all that Ubuntu purports. We are not a society steeped in fear or hatred of foreigners, strangers or people from different cultures and labelling us as such is antagonistic to our patriotic commitment to building our society that we all toil hard to contribute towards daily. It is one that begs the government to provide access for equal opportunity to live the better life we have been promised.

I am an African, I believe in the unification of the continent, the relaxation of our borders and the support of our brothers and sisters of this mineral-rich and culturally and visually spectacular land.

There can never be a point where violence of any kind is condoned.

It is my assertion that the current state of ‘ enough is enough’ is not xenophobia; our people are not born with inherent hate. Our people have crossed over from vastly inhumane decades of unjust legislation and have successfully strengthened democracy by continuing to vote and participate in forcing the hand of the government to provide them with the Better Life promised.

Our people, however, refuse to surrender our nation’s sovereignty to crime and criminal decay; to their right to employment and a decent minimum wage; to access to entrepreneurship and the economy.

This is not hate or fear. Criminality, which may or may not be peddled by foreigners, requires us to join hands in ensuring that it never reaches our communities. In order to counter criminality, active citizenship is required in order to ensure the safety of our children and our future.