By Janet Karim
21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
22 “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. 23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. 24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. – Exodus 22:21-24.
I get it, according to research, life for the majority of Black South Africans under apartheid South Africa was marked by systemic oppression, forced segregation, economic exploitation, and constant surveillance, severely limiting freedom and opportunity. Introduced in 1948, the rich gold-endowed southernmost tip of the African continent, the National Party, enforced racial segregation and white supremacy across South Africa. Black South Africans were subjected to laws that controlled nearly every aspect of their lives.
There were Legal and Social Restrictions, such as the Population Registration Act, which classified people by race. At the same time, the Group Areas Act and the Promotion of Bantu Self-Government Act forcibly relocated Black communities to designated “homelands” or townships, often far from urban centers and employment opportunities. Interracial marriage and social integration were prohibited, and public spaces such as hospitals, schools, and beaches were segregated.
I get it, Apartheid, or “apartness” in the language of Afrikaans, was a system of legislation that upheld segregation against non-white (black) citizens of South Africa. Upon gaining power in South Africa in 1948, the National Party and its all-white government immediately began enforcing policies of racial segregation. Under apartheid, nonwhites, who were the majority of the country’s population, were forced to live in separate areas from whites and use separate public facilities. Contact between the two groups was limited. Despite strong and consistent opposition to apartheid within and outside of South Africa, South African Apartheid laws remained in effect for over 50 years. In 1991, the government of President F.W. de Klerk began to repeal most of the legislation that provided the basis for apartheid.
During this time, various black leaders, among them Nelson Mandela, were sent to prison.
Now xenophobia has landed and hit SA hard, and the majority of black South Africans are enacting something they have long suffered. Only this time around, it is black-on-black persecution that has turned ugly and violent. Foreign black Africans who had made South Africa their home, with many having been born in South Africa, are being mercilessly evicted, expelled from the country, many in violent exchanges, most leaving their personal belongings behind.
I am here to say to my black South African brothers and sisters, you are hitting, you are angry at the wrong people. On the contrary, black African brothers and sisters are and have been your true helpers; they are not your enemies. Many black Africans from the continent were lured to South Africa at the height of the apartheid era to fill the employee void created by the Apartheid Regime after banishing black South Africans to what were termed Bantustans. The merciless ejection of black South Africans from South Africa is unfortunate.
It is unfortunate because during the Apartheid Regime of the National Party, numerous African countries were bombed. Among these were Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Namibia. History records that the military strikes and bombings by the South African Defense Force (SADF), were justified by the government as actions to combat the African National Congress as well as the South West African People’s Organization (SWAPO). The SA Government claimed they were fighting anti-apartheid exiles and facilities.
When Nelson Mandela was freed and power was vested in the majority black South Africans, the entire continent of Africa rejoiced, celebrated, and heartily welcomed the new country.
LISTEN UP: South Africa became home to the UN-sponsored Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), which the world adopted at the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. It is the UN’s central framework for combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance worldwide. Among its raison d’être (reason for being), it outlines commitments by states and a detailed Programme of Action to address historical and contemporary forms of racism and to protect affected groups.
The DDPA was adopted from 31 August to 8 September 2001 at the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in Durban, South Africa; it consists of two parts: the declaration and its programme of action.
the declaration and its programme of action.
· The Durban Declaration is a political commitment that acknowledges the persistence of racism and affirms states’ responsibilities.
· The Programme of Action – a roadmap detailing practical steps to eliminate racism globally.
Among the key themes of the Durban Declaration is that it
· Recognizes that racism is a global concern and no country is free from it.
· Emphasizes the plight of victims, including Africans, people of African descent, indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees, and Roma/Sinti/Traveler communities.
· Reaffirms states’ duty to protect and promote human rights and apply a gender perspective.
· Addresses both historical injustices (e.g., slavery, colonialism, apartheid) and contemporary forms of discrimination.
I am here to say again that brothers and sisters in South Africa are against this international instrument that their country has fought for at the world body in New York (United Nations), and all African countries have embraced since 2001.
What can SA leaders, among them President Cyril Ramaphosa, do? I say, please go back to the DPOA that has, among others, concrete actions that include:
- Investments in health systems, education, housing, electricity, drinking water, and environmental control measures, and promoting equal opportunities in employment.
- Ensuring access to education and to new technologies, in particular to women and children.
On the last leg of number 1, the South African government can achieve this by nationalizing projects. Government projects worldwide are job-creation entities that dramatically reduce unemployment.
This is what I can advise my cousin, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to do: open as many national projects as you possibly can.
If Africa is to unite, if SADC is to unite, the regrettable, unfortunate, and violently merciless scene coming out of South Africa MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY.
It is time for our Big Brother in the South of the continent of Africa to quell the black-on-black violence and stop the xenophobia. NOW!
