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Sam,
Two points of correction here:
1) I did not write the article, though I subscribe to the author's views. It's an editorial from PanAfricanvisions e-journal to which I referred you at the bottom of the article.
2) I am not South African, I only had a stint there, thank Goodness!
Read the article below for more on the 'South African mindset' by another concerned African.
South Africa: Is this what we deserve?
By Said Adejumobi
I LIVED in South Africa for two years. I was a research and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Cape Town. I was fortunate to be in South Africa at that moment and also in that university. This is because that was a period in which there was an intellectual battle over the soul and direction of the South African project through the nature of knowledge production and consumption. The University of Cape Town is an excellent university with the best knowledge infrastructure on the continent.
But the university at that point was the hotbed of the struggle to restructure knowledge production in South Africa. Mahmood Mamdani, a Uganda scholar (now at Columbia University) led the struggle to change the curriculum on Africa in the university from apartheid based, to a post-apartheid Africa focused one. Mamdani's close allies and associates including the late C.S.L Chachage, a professor of sociology (from Tanzania) joined the fray in the battle. But we lost the battle; South Africa was unprepared for change. In the absence of change, apartheid will assume another form and shape; black on black violence will deepen; and the psychology of domination will recreate itself. This is the whole talk about xenophobia in South Africa.
For any discerning mind, what is happening now in South Africa is predictable. I saw it coming, and I left South Africa when I did. I recall informing my students, "South Africa is a country on the edge; it may implode from within". Without reshaping the curriculum on Africa; without decolonising the minds of the people; without owning up and admitting the historical role played by other African countries in South Africa's liberation struggle, South Africans rarely know who they are and where they are coming from.
Beyond mere clichés of the leadership of the ANC, and some cadres in the South African liberation movement, majority of South Africans especially the blacks do not see themselves as Africans. When they comment on Africa, they refer to "you people from Africa". The mindset created under apartheid is that Africa is a jungle, where people are beasts, hungry and hopeless. The mindset remains unchanged and South Africans especially blacks don't want to identify with this.
Coming from a history of denial and deprivation, South African blacks don't want to associate with those who have a semblance of their perceived former image; those who are deprived and hopeless. They therefore see themselves differently, and far better than other Africans. They often tend to compare themselves with Europeans and Americans, with little or no African identity. This is the basis of the resentment, which they now call xenophobia.
Winnie Mandela is right when she laid the blame of the attack on fellow blacks from other African countries on the doorstep of the government given its failure to deliver on the long promises of political liberation; but this is only one part of the story, not the full story. Poverty and affluence live side by side in South Africa. Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the World that I have ever seen. What I call "Mainland" Cape Town is far better than the city of Paris or London. But that is how far it goes.
Distress and shock on the faces of foreigners in South Africa
On the other side of 'mainland' Cape Town is "cape town the ghetto"- these are the townships. "Cape Town the ghetto' is worse than any slum I have ever seen in my life. I saw about five families all with children living in a single room. People sleep under the bed, in the corridor, kitchen etc. It is the most wicked and inhuman condition any human soul can live in. It is worse than Mushin, Ajegunle or any other slum in Nigeria. Political liberation has done nothing to change their lives.
The media manipulation in South Africa is to heap the blame of the condition of the poor South African blacks on foreigners mainly blacks from other African countries. They are depicted as job snatchers, criminals, drug pushers, crooks, etc. They are basically criminalised. Every non-South African black is seen as a job migrant, who has come to deny job to a Black South African. The stage was set for a conflagration. There were cases in which people were thrown off the moving train and killed. The media and the government call it xenophobia; but I call criminality. Criminality was tolerated and inadvertently promoted to deflect the condition of the country, and explain off its inadequacies.
Mahmood Mamdani was fond of saying that South Africa is a poor country. Many South Africans detest it. His argument is that there is a tiny minority that is very rich, and affluent, while the majority of the people live in abject poverty unparalleled in any other African country. If the wealth of the nation is aggregated, their living standard will fall, and South Africa may not be better than many other African countries. The result of the warning signal being flagged by Mamdani is what is unfolding in South Africa today.
The structural dimension to the attack on people from other African countries by South African blacks is in two directions. First, the knowledge system is trapped in the legacies of apartheid, and as such black South Africans hardly appreciate the richness of African history and culture, hence the need to have changed mindset towards their fellow Africans. The immediate step every African country took after decolonisation was to reshape the curriculum and rewrite their history.
This in some cases involved importing scholars from other African countries to assist in the project. This was never to happen in South Africa. The effect is that the apartheid social construction of Africa and black identity is what still resonates in the minds of many South African blacks. Unfortunately, people who volunteered to help South Africa achieve transformation in the educational sector never got the kind of political support needed from the South African political leadership including the ANC.
Marauding gangs hunting for foreigners, is South Africa an exception to the legendary hospitality of Africans?
The second structural dimension to the attack on fellow black Africans is the orgy of self-denial which South Africa's political leadership and the ANC are engaged in. Hardly is the correct story of the liberation struggle told publicly to South African citizens. What is often told is a story of self-victory. The role played by other African countries is hardly mentioned and South African middle class elite (including the media) are fond of saying, "we do not owe other African countries anything". Of course, they do.
President Thabo Mbeki & his government must do more to repair the damage done to the image of Africa especially with a historic soccer world cup looming in the horizon
I recall that when Julius Nyerere died (I was in South Africa then), he was depicted in the media in a very negative sense. Headlines like the "tyrant is gone" replete media stories on him. This is highly unfortunate. Julius Nyerere was one of the most steadfast leaders on South Africa's liberation struggle - committed his country's scarce resources, diplomatic strength and military support for the ANC. Nyerere was not to be celebrated but vilified. This is the one of the gains of self-denial.
Nigeria was one of the frontline states and participated actively in South Africa's liberation struggle. Our resources, foreign policy, diplomatic strength and entire citizens’ commitment were put behind our South African brothers/sisters. I recall as a university undergraduate, I contributed money and participated in anti-apartheid campus movements. Our soul was with our South African brethren, is this our reward for supporting South Africa's liberation?
Today, South Africa is benefiting more than any other African country in the African integration project. South African companies (like MTN) are abroad in many African countries making super profit, but South Africans are attacking the citizens of those countries in South Africa. There is no recorded case of either a South African citizen or company being maltreated in any other African country. South Africa must of necessity reciprocate the gesture and good will of other African countries, even if it chooses to tell the story of the anti-apartheid struggle differently.
The South African government must act and act fast in ensuring that other African citizens are not molested and attacked in South Africa. The current attacks are definitely unacceptable and condemnable. Mbeki's African renaissance should not be about his people killing other African citizens; Pan-Africanism will not stand in the face of the current onslaught on other Africans. Mbeki, Zuma and other leaders of the ANC must act, and act fast!
*Adejumobi who lives in Lagos, published this piece in Guardian newspaper Lagos, May 28. Illustrations are done by the PAV Team
For more on this, go to:www. panafricanvisions.com
PETER W.VAKUNTA
DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
602 VAN HISE HALL
1220 LINDEN DRIVE
MADISON WI 53706-1525
U.S.A
Office 608 262 4067
Home 608 442 6089
Cell 608 381 0407
"The day will come when history will speak... Africa will write its own history... it will be a history of glory and dignity." - Patrice Lumumba
----- Original Message -----
From: Sam Jimba <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008 5:16 pm
Subject: Re: South Africa and the Obligation to Repay a Good Turn!
To: [log in to unmask]
> **********************************************************
>
> 10TH AFRICAN FEST ANNIVERSARY
>
> SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008
>
> VOLUNTEER FOR AAM'S UBUNTU MENTORING PROGRAM
>
> CONTACT "[log in to unmask]" FOR MORE INFO
>
> RENEW YOUR AAM MEMBERSHIP FOR $25!!!!
>
> MAIL YOUR CHECK TO AAM, P. O. Box 1016, MADISON, WI 53701
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> **********************************************************
>
> Great write-up, Peter.
>
> One important thing to note is that those odious acts were only
> perpetrated by an insignificant fraction of black South Africans.
> While those sorry images might enslave the mind, it is important to
> note that such acts do not in themselves reflect the group attitude of
> black South Africans. This is why we need to deal with such situations
> on a case-by-case basis and show some nobility in our critique of
> them, irrespective of wherever they may have emanated from. Extremism
> of all kinds is not alien to any society. You need to go outside the
> Universe to find a group of mortals without pockets of deviants.
>
> When next we read reports of genocide, incense, drugs, and a host of
> other vices from anywhere, we should learn to treat them in isolation
> and not hasten to draw blanket conclusions about the nations or
> ethnicities from where such things emanate. Vices will not cease until
> the end of time. This won't be the last time we're reading such
> reports from South Africa! There'll always be deviant South Africans
> just as there are the good South Africans like Peter Vakunta. The
> existence of the good and the bad is an eternal fact of life. Only the
> dead will not live to see evil!
>
> Sam
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Peter W. Vakunta" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008 3:03 pm
> Subject: South Africa and the Obligation to Repay a Good Turn!
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> > **********************************************************
> >
> > 10TH AFRICAN FEST ANNIVERSARY
> >
> > SATURDAY, AUGUST 16, 2008
> >
> > VOLUNTEER FOR AAM'S UBUNTU MENTORING PROGRAM
> >
> > CONTACT "[log in to unmask]" FOR MORE INFO
> >
> > RENEW YOUR AAM MEMBERSHIP FOR $25!!!!
> >
> > MAIL YOUR CHECK TO AAM, P. O. Box 1016, MADISON, WI 53701
> >
> > **********************************************************
> >
> > PAV Editorial Vol. 11, June 2008
> >
> >
> >
> > South Africa and the Obligation to Repay a Good Turn
> >
> >
> >
> > Of all the sordid images that made the rounds on the internet, the
>
> > scene of a helpless brother burning to death in the presence of a
> > couple of police men with one having a grin of sorts on his face
> will
> > be engraved in the minds of many for a long time. Few are those who
>
> > would have thought that at this time and in this age, Africans
> will
> > act so savagely towards other Africans. No matter the
> circumstances,
> > the treatment meted out to fellow Africans by our South Africans
> was
> > disproportionate and uncalled for. Coming from South Africa, the
> > macabre scenarios were all the more chilling considering the huge
> > efforts and sacrifices that virtually the entire continent of
> Africa
> > furnished in the struggle to dislodge apartheid.
> >
> >
> >
> > Yes Africa especially south of the Sahara put up a heroic fight
> > alongside South Africans to bring down apartheid. The kind of
> > impeccable brother hood manifested by neighboring countries like
> > Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique and others remains a source of pride
> to
> > Africa. Countries like Nigeria and Tanzania led the charge. Young
> > School kids in so many parts of the continent grew up knowing that
>
> > apartheid existed in South Africa and was a very bad system .Music
> was
> > used by artists all over the continent to call for the liberation
> of
> > Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress activists jailed
>
> > for standing up against apartheid.
> >
> >
> >
> > The release of Nelson Mandela was considered as a huge victory for
> all
> > Africans, the emergence of democracy with Black majority rule was
> seen
> > by many as a very positive development not only for South Africa
> but
> > the entire African continent. South Africa had little difficulty
> > integrating itself within the continent in all spheres. A concrete
>
> > example is in the domain of sports where the new post apartheid
> South
> > Africa was granted the right to host the African Nations Cup by the
>
> > Confederation of African Football, a tournament eventually won by them.
> >
> >
> >
> > Nelson Mandela himself set the bar high for the continent by
> serving
> > just one term of office despite the opportunity to seek an
> additional
> > term. Many are those who thought that the emergence of a strong
> South
> > Africa will augur well for the emergence of a stronger Africa as
> well.
> > South Africa furnished great efforts in ambitious continental
> > programmes like the New Partnership for African Development NEPAD,
> the
> > Peer Review Mechanism, and served alongside another African giant
> > Nigeria in many international forums as the voice of the continent.
> It
> > was a strong contender for a permanent seat in the United Nations
> > Security Council prior to the still birth of reforms for the body.
>
> > When it came to Africa’s to host the soccer world cup for the first
>
> > time, the choice fell on South Africa.
> >
> >
> >
> > From the summary above, South Africa did not only benefit from
> > tremendous support from the continent to break the shackles of
> > apartheid but has benefited from very high esteem since then. The
> > shock of seeing fellow Africans treated so shabbily is so strong.
> Have
> > our South African brothers forgotten so soon the good turn that the
>
> > rest of the continent did for them? Was there
> >
> > no better way of sending away people they do not want? A hall mark
> in
> > many African cultures and traditions is the strong sense of
> welcome.
> > Yes strangers and visitors are often received graciously but South
>
> > Africans showed the contrary. The damage is so strong, the
> humiliation
> > just so terrible and with ramifications at plenty.
> >
> >
> >
> > For a country that many look up to for vital leadership in the
> > continent at a critical moment in its history, the xenophobic
> > behaviour of South Africans sends the very wrong signals. If there
>
> > show such hatred for their African brothers, what guarantee is
> there
> > that the country will serve as a worthy leader for the continent?
> What
> > about the much talked about issue of continental unity? How
> serious
> > are we about the issue of a United Africa when such vicious hatred
>
> > comes from the people of a country which is suppose to show the
> lead?
> > When one takes into cognizance the fact that Africans received
> similar
> > treatment from Libyans, a country whose leader professes to be a
> > champion of continental unity there is every reason for people to
> > express reservations.
> >
> >
> >
> > The South African government is trying to stem the rising
> xenophobia
> > but at what time and with what impact? A lot more needs to be done
> by
> > them to reassure Africa that South Africans are better than the
> > unfortunate incidents make them to appear. Moral authorities like
> > Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and others who may know better about
> the
> > contributions of Africa to the liberation of South Africa must
> speak
> > out strongly against the calamitous actions of their compatriots.
> One
> > good turn we are told deserves another. Africa showed a good turn
> to
> > South Africa in its hour of greatest need and support and deserves
>
> > better treatment. With two years left to the hosting of one of the
>
> > greatest sporting events in the world-the soccer world cup by South
>
> > Africa, pouring such venom on fellow Africans is the very wrong
> thing
> > to do.
> >
> >
> >
> > The incidents in Africa should also serve as a wake up call to some
>
> > African governments which have done very little to make life
> > comfortable and worth living for their people. Democratic and
> > accountable leaderships which place premium on the well being of
> > people will go a long way to curb the movement of people to other
> > countries for greener pastures. Many of the people who were victims
> of
> > the violence in South Africa did not go there because they wanted
> to
> > but because they were forced to because of the difficult conditions
> in
> > their own countries.
> >
> >
> >
> > Whereas South Africans are putting up a show of shame, the rest of
> the
> > world and precisely the United States of American is sending a
> > radically different message with the election of Senator Barack
> Obama
> > as the flag bearer of the Democratic Party in the November 08
> > presidential elections. It is the first time that an African
> American
> > is achieving that feat. The son of a Kenyan father and an American
>
> > mother Senator Obama has proved himself to be a veritable
> phenomenon
> > hailed all over the world today. His message of hope serves as a
> > source of inspiration to many, and his eloquence attracts
> admiration
> > even from his adversaries .Africa definitely needs to learn from
> such
> > amazing experiences so as to catch up with the rest of the world
> > instead of excelling in the kind of xenophobic antics that were
> > witnessed recently in South Africa.
> >
> >
> >
> > A source of consolation lies in the fact that the continent is
> endowed
> > with enormous resources, that it is it is full of hard working and
>
> > dynamic people, that there are a lot more people who do not think
> the
> > kind of xenophobia that took place in South Africa will provide
> > lasting solutions to the problems of the continent. We have seen a
>
> > country like Equatorial Guinea chase out nationals from Cameroon,
> > Nigeria, Chad etc in the erroneous believe that they came in to
> share
> > the spoils of their new found oil wealth, yet this is a country
> which
> > relies on the benevolence of its neighbours to feed its population
>
> > when . We are not in any way encouraging illegal immigration but
> few
> > are African countries where you do not have non nationals, go to
> > Cameroon you will find Nigerians who own huge shops, Senegalese who
>
> > own provision stores, Chadians who repair shoes, go to Nigeria you
>
> > will find people from the Republic of Benin who thrive in the
> > tailouring industry, go to Ghana and the Gambi
> > a you will find Nigerians and others who run impressive business
> > entities. The examples are many; most of them pay taxes and
> contribute
> > in the general development of the host country and Africa as a
> whole.
> > Sure there may be some who indulge in criminal activities but there
>
> > certainly are in the minority and the Law can take care of that.
> >
> >
> >
> > It is our fervent hope that the unfortunate incidents in South
> Africa
> > do not persist or spread to other parts of the continent. There are
>
> > unnecessary distractions to the pressing challenges that Africa has
> to
> > grapple with. May be we are expecting too much from South Africa
> but
> > it has every reason to act decisively in addressing these
> unfortunate
> > developments before there completely get off hand.
> >
> > For more on this subject, visit www.panafricanvisions.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > PETER W.VAKUNTA
> > DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH AND ITALIAN
> > UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON
> > 602 VAN HISE HALL
> > 1220 LINDEN DRIVE
> > MADISON WI 53706-1525
> > U.S.A
> > Office 608 262 4067
> > Home 608 442 6089
> > Cell 608 381 0407
> >
> > "The day will come when history will speak... Africa will write its
>
> > own history... it will be a history of glory and dignity." -
> Patrice Lumumba
> >
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