A country without leadership

Last year I voiced my concerns about the widening divide between the Haves and Have-Nots and have continued to do. A South African reminded me about other countries like the UK that have their divides. I pointed out that the poor in the UK are not in the majority and have the advantage of a benefit system that in the main helps to feed and put a roof over the heads of those who are truly on their knees. The words of an English friend voices the concerns of many in South Africa and sends a sobering thought ......"who next - us"?

Laura Miti wrote in the Dispatch Online today....."what is perhaps most frightening about the events of the last two weeks, is that these violent acts showed that neither the leaders of the country, nor the ANC have any real authority over the majority of poor people congregated in the country’s townships.

The SABC showed Zuma, who is usually known to “connect” with ordinary people, being told by members of the crowd he was addressing, that nothing he could say would convince them that they were wrong in venting their anger on foreigners.

Without question, the situation is now perilous for any foreigners in the country.

But it should be even more worrisome for South African citizens – the point being that nobody can deny that the poor majority in South Africa has good reason to be angry.

Fourteen years after democracy, many people are still living in absolute squalor. Into these conditions came millions (many illegally) who were fleeing terror in their own countries to seek a new life in South Africa. This time around the poor masses chose to vent their anger on the foreigners, who they accuse of benefiting from the country’s freedom at their expense.

But the critical question is who, had there had been no foreigners, would they have vented their violent anger on?

In the last few years we have seen an increase in the anger and violence simmering just below the surface among South Africa’s poor – while the government stood by and watched. There have been random acts of anarchy such as those in which commuters burnt trains because they were behind schedule. There have been riots over lack of service delivery and when some townships’ boundaries were shifted.

Now we have the violence perpetrated against foreigners.

It is easy for those of us who were not directly affected by these outbursts, to imagine that this won’t in fact be the case in the future. One has to ask, what will prevent a situation where the next target becomes the “rich” people in suburbs – the whites or those blacks perceived to have benefited since 1994? Citizens should be asking themselves why there is such deep anger and a propensity for violence in this country.

I think it is time for collective introspection. When this violence quietens down, it would be disastrous to forget about it and get on with our lives – the next outburst could well bring South Africa to its knees." Full article: http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=206178