Mayor Mashaba must own up

This is not a lesson that one should teaching the mayor of Southern Africa’s largest city, it is one he should already know.The DA must act on him.

When Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini made anti-immigrant utterances ahead of the last round of the so-called xenophobic attacks in 2015, we called him out on it. Although eventually controversially cleared by the Human Rights Commission of being the cause of the barbaric attacks on mainly foreign nationals of African origin, it was acknowledged that someone in his position ought to be very responsible in what they say, because their words can serve as a basis upon which ignorant individuals can base the murderous motives.

“You see, for me, when I call these criminals, criminals, I want them to understand that they are criminals. They are holding our country to ransom and I am going to be the last South African to allow it.” These are the words of Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba a few weeks ago. He said foreign nationals who were in the country illegally were criminals. And some people then want to act surprised that a group of people who label themselves Concerned Mamelodi Citizens organised an anti-immigration march in Tshwane city centre.

Their reasons for their anti-immigration march? “The foreigners have real guns. They are selling drugs and prostitution and the municipality is helping them. They must leave.” The maths is simple, the mayor says foreign immigrants are criminals, and now this.

To view the Afrophobic attacks simply as a result of Mashaba’s comments would be too simplistic. But to ignore that you need a spark to start a fire would be ignorant, too. Mashaba must take responsibility for his part in the current mess. If the Democratic Alliance want to be taken seriously as an opposition party that holds errant leaders to account, they must throw the rule book at Mashaba. The DA were one of the first political parties to describe Zwelithini’s comments as “highly irresponsible” in 2015. “Particularly given the recent spate of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, he should do the right thing – retract and apologise,” DA national spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said about the king. Demanding anything less from one of their own is hypocritical.

Anti-immigrant sentiment is not a particularly South African phenomenon. It is on the same ticket that US President Donald Trump rode into the White House. The British voted to leave the European Union based largely on the same sentiment. Spain, Germany and Italy are other examples of countries that have also previously experienced a groundswell of this sentiment, based largely on the mistaken belief that their social problems are due to the influx of foreigners into their countries. But Africa and the world have always expected South Africa to do better, to behave better, because we know firsthand what the result of pointing fingers at one group of people and demonising them can do.

Yes, foreign nationals come to SA to better their lives, but there is no proof that the life of the ordinary South African would be better without them in this country. The best way of dealing with anti-immigrant sentiments is to accelerate service delivery. Let the ignorant locals see that housing and water can be delivered, as promised, despite the presence of our fellows from neighbouring countries. This is not a lesson that one should be teaching the mayor of Southern Africa’s largest city, it is one he should already know.

The DA must act against Mashaba.