South Africans cannot have forgotten history!

Editorial Cartoon.

 Xenophobia can simply be defined an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange.

 

So far six people have been killed in the new spate of xenophobic attacks in the Rainbow nation that started in KwaZulu Natal's largest city of Durban and those targeted in the attacks are African immigrants.

 

The recent attacks in Africa's second largest economy reminds us of the same brutality in 2008 in which 62 people were killed in xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg’s townships. Two years later South Africa became the first African nation to host the World Cup.

 

Without mincing words we can look back between 1948 and 1994, when the then all-white National Party (NP) enforced the apartheid policy in which segregation was institutionalised.

 

The legislation classified inhabitants into four racial groups, namely black, white, coloured and Indian. 

 

As black South Africans suffered under the oppressive racist regime many African countries, Tanzania in the forefront, played a crucial role to emancipate their brethren by hosting hundreds of South Africans who were fighting to liberate their country from oppression being perpetrated by the few whites.

 

The African National Congress (ANC), for instance, had a number of training camps in Mazimbu, Morogoro for its fighters. Under the leadership of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, as we have said   Tanzania offered both financial and material support to ensure that apartheid ended in South Africa.

 

Again,President Jakaya Kikwete’s speech at Nelson Mandela’s funeral in Qunu South Africa December 2013  was a moving eulogy.  The President highlighted a couple of things especially the rare and deep relationship between Tanzania and South Africa from the earlier days of freedom struggle and the bond between former Tanzanian President, Late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela.  

 

In his speech he said interalia and we quote:“In order to keep the visit discreet, Nelson Mandela  did not stay in hotels. He stayed at the house of… Cyril Swai.

 

“On his departure, he left behind his boots in the hope that on his way back he would pick up his boots.

 

“Unfortunately, he did not pass through Dar es Salaam again because on his arrival back in South Africa, he was arrested and spent the next 27 years in jail.

 

“Fortunately, the Swai family kept his boots and in 1995, the pair of boots were handed back to him.”

 

Kikwete said Swai’s widow Vicky was at the funeral service to bid farewell to Mandela. Her husband had died shortly after Mandela took office, he said.

 

Tanzania has said  is ready to evacuate its citizens from South Africa in the wake of xenophobic attacks by locals.

 

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe told a news conference that the government was waiting for clearance by South Africa to evacuate 21 Tanzanians currently living in a camp in Durban after fleeing their homes.

 

They are among 23 Tanzanians being sheltered at the camp. Two have said they won’t leave South Africa, he added.

One question in everyone’s lips is: Why are the Black South Africans forgetting their history so fast?