Dear Zim, time for brutal conversation about xenophobia in South Africa

AM a Zimbabwean, so this is difficult to write, and I stand to lose a lot. But I will do it anyway.

Anti-immigrant sentiments, or much simply xenophobia is difficult to write about because nobody wants to speak candidly, and the few that do are often affected by emotions.

Nobody wants to, nor can they, freely state that Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa do not help their own cause. Saying this would likely be interpreted as support for violence and whip up a wave of cancellations.

Similarly, very few people want to negatively describe movements like Dudula because offending them could lead to escalation, and ostracism from locals.

And nobody wants, by push or pull, to speak about the rampant problems caused by out-of-control migration into South Africa, like drugs, murder, crime and so forth. This is how it is.

Anyway, a few days ago, my wife Boipelo Manyowa wrote a widely published article for NewsDay about her disapproval for xenophobic violence and crime in South Africa .

It was a heartfelt piece that I believe was driven by her kindhearted nature, her faith in humanity, and her belief that Africans are stronger, together. Xenophobic tensions are very personal.

My wife is a staunch Pan-African, but I will leave it there because I avoid speaking on her behalf, because she can speak for herself, aptly. However, at the centre of her thoughts is the critical issue of migration, which we must talk about.

I will start by saying my heart goes out to people who have lost their lives and property in xenophobic attacks, and violence of any nature. This is unfortunate, intolerable and unwelcome.

I first wrote about xenophobia in 2015, in an open letter to the late former President Robert Mugabe. That piece got me in trouble with his government, but also exposed me to different views.

While I had egged him to find ways of reminding South Africa of our role in their independence, and stability, at our expense, I also learnt a few other lessons.

My work as a journalist often makes me an annoying character. Ethics demand I listen to several sides before giving an opinion, including repulsive ones that make me sick.

Yet I do this because the only way to understand people is to listen and look. I also know, and have learnt since my 2015 days, that nothing is ever black and white, nor is it either or. There is always a semblance of truth, even amid destructive hate.

It takes a brave man to speak or write against the grain. To that end I applaud Boipelo for speaking out against her own country and its people, risking ostracism in the process, and as she wrote, doing it for “people who have been very unkind to her”. I must also be brave, and share a few thoughts, in response to her article. I largely agree with everything she says. That people should be equal before the law. That violence is wrong. But I also have other perspectives that I believe should be part of this dialogue.

Zimbabwe is not an ‘innocent’ country when it comes to xenophobia

When Zimbabwe first achieved independence in 1980, it really was heaven on earth. Its currency was strong, and the country was selfsufficient. Malawians, Zambians, and South Africans flocked to Zimbabwe, to work as roadside vendors, to work in mines, and to take advantage of the education system, as well as flee from the racist apartheid government.

But Zimbabwe and its government at the time were hostile. Malawians and Zambians were called MaBwidi; a derogatory term that describes foreigners as half-wits. The government conducted raid after raid in townships, often asking people to repeat local street lingo — fully aware that Malawian folk would repeat it with a hilarious accent.

Those that failed were bundled into trucks and deported. Those who remained were made half citizens by the government. That time, naturalised Zimbabweans from Malawi and Zambia were not allowed to vote, and their identity documents were engraved with a huge capital letter A, which designated them as “Aliens”. This practice remained up until Mugabe was removed from power.

But, at the same time, as Mozambique was engaged in a brutal civil war, several locals, many who speak Zimbabwe’s main language, Shona, crossed into the country seeking refuge. Government rounded them up and put them in refugee camps, while several others were forcibly deported to Mozambique, where they were executed by rebel forces.

● Read full article on www.newsday.co.zw