America’s tourist warning rings hollow
THE US State Department’s travel advisory to American tourists wishing to visit South Africa just days after the killing of Zululander Lindani Myeni at the hands of Honolulu police, is hypocrisy of the highest order.
The outrage with which the violation was met by those sympathetic to Myeni’s youthful family, resonates strongly with South Africans whose lives were often brutally impacted by police in the past.
Local racial sentiments aside, Myeni’s death has once more exposed America’s insincerity.
Many may not be aware of the advisory which contains a number of unsavoury alerts about our country.
Lest one is accused of defending the indefensible, one must admit crime is a worrisome issue in the country. Carjacking, rapes, armed robbery, muggings and other anti-social behaviour are real and objectionable.
However, no country is immune to such violations, hence singling out and condemning South Africa is less than fair.
Scaring off tourists will surely have an immense negative impact on the tourism and hospitality sector, because tourism has the capacity to positively change the fortunes of our ailing economy.
A forewarned tourist is in a position to take necessary precautions to mitigate the risks, but this advisory goes beyond that.
Often tourists seek the assistance of the police to avoid falling prey to criminality.
It is for this reason that police brutality creates a far more dangerous situation. Targeting individuals of a particular gender or colour tends to deepen suspicion and causes unnecessary racial tensions.
Myeni was black, unarmed and according to reports, not engaged in any criminal act. His skin colour was perhaps the crime he couldn’t disown or wish away.
But his death is one in a long line of misdeeds that have rocked the world’s oldest democracy.
Creating the impression that South Africa is crawling with criminals is therefore not only inaccurate, but it also ignores the impunity of the white police in America.
Calling out America’s hypocrisy and condemning its ‘Big Brother’ approach to other sovereignties’ affairs, needs to be backed up by candid diplomatic communications.
Cooperation for the common good is the only way to ensure tragedies such as the one that claimed Myeni’s life can be avoided, but we need to agree that everyone’s human rights are sacrosanct.
Cooperation for the common good is the only way to ensure tragedies such as the one that claimed Lindani Myeni’s life can be avoided, but only if we agreed that everyone’s human rights are sacrosanct, writes academic DR KHAYA GQIBITHOLE