Reacting to a recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners in Africa’s largest economy, a cross section of people reached by this newspaper said the violence meted out to immigrants bore all hallmarks of the apartheid.
Arusha. Despite high level of unemployment, economic disparities with the whites and widening income distribution gap, it was wrong for South Africans to attack fellow Africans from outside; it has been observed.
Reacting to a recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners in Africa’s largest economy, a cross section of people reached by this newspaper said the violence meted out to immigrants bore all hallmarks of the apartheid.
“It was wrong for South Africans to act in that manner. They displayed elements or ingredients of apartheid”, lamented a business consultant Simon Mapolu, stressing that Africans must do away with such segregation mentality.
He said Tanzania should learn a lesson from attacks of its citizens who were going to look for jobs in another country by creating employment opportunities through reviving industrial production.
However, he stressed that by attacking fellow Africans who had immigrated there to seek greener pastures, South Africans had depicted their hate for a united Africa as espoused by the founding fathers of the Africa Union (AU).
A resident of Ngara in Kagera region, Mr. Amani George said he was not surprised by the recent violence in which eight people were killed, many injured and properties worth millions of shillings belonging to foregners looted or razed down.
“Internalised racism was a major legacy of Apartheid. South African society historically judges violence inflicted on Blacks less harshly than violence against whites”, he told the Citizen on Sunday when reached on phone.
He called on Pretoria to take hard measures “ by removing this kind of inequalities and starting with media change by burning all tv and radio sessions that support this kind of legacy.”
Sirli Akko, the executive secretary of the Tanzania Assocation of Tour Operators, admitted that the government in Pretoria was partly to blame because it has been slow in responding to the crisis. “ I do not think that authorities in SA are really committed towards ending this xenophobic feelings as you can see it keeps recurring and there is no sign that they will either”, he said.
The official explained that xenophobhic attacks against immigrants would not end in South Africa and “nothing will really happen” with mere condemnations unless the Africa stood up to press on the SA authorities to stop xenophobia.
