EDITORIAL: Xenophobia by any name is still appalling, vicious
The hydra-headed monster xenophobia recently raised its ugly-self again in South Africa, hitting the Springfield area of Durban on March 25. Xenophobia is the extreme dislike, fear, hatred of, or prejudice against, people from other countries: strangers, foreigners.
Call it racism, racialism, racial hatred, ethnocentricity, nationalism, jingoism, isolationism, prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, bias, apartheid or whatever, xenophobia remains dastardly.
This is especially when locals/indigenes turn violent against foreigners in their midst.
In Africa, xenophobic tendencies have surfaced in some countries in recent years, mostly with devilish proportions in terms of vicious wickedness, abominable bestiality and barbaric cruelty.
Ivory Coast suffered resurgence of ethnic tribal hatred and plundering possessions of especially white foreigners in Abidjan in 2004.
In October 2006, Niger announced that it would deport to Chad the ‘Diffa Arabs’ in eastern Niger. However, the government eventually suspended their controversial decision to deport the Arabs.
Xenophobia is worse in South Africa, the continent’s second-largest Economy by GDP. While prior to home rule in May 1994, immigrants faced discrimination and even violence, the incidence of xenophobia intensified under post-apartheid majority (African) rule – contrary to expectations.
About 67 people died between 2000 and March 2008 in what were identified as xenophobic attacks. A series of xenophobic attacks in May 2008 left 62 people dead. A nationwide spike in xenophobic attacks against immigrants in 2015 prompted some foreign governments to begin repatriating their citizens from South Africa.
Then there are these latest xenophobic attacks a week ago. These have prompted foreign governments to intervene, working through their diplomatic representatives in Pretoria. The envoys will seek unequivocal commitment by Pretoria to protect foreigners and their properties. Indeed, there must be NO room for xenophobia in today’s Africa, and we wish the foreign envoys success in this their noble mission in Pretoria.
