Xenophobic attacks: where South Africans are getting it all wrong

Martin Luther King Jnr, was once quoted as saying; morality cannot be legislated, but behaviour can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless. It is quite obvious that those in the corridors of power across the Limpopo cannot come up with a legislation on the morality of some rogue South Africans, but they can craft stiff pieces of legislature that can restrain the toy-toying, good-for-nothing savages and ignorumases, from their murderous activities in the future.

 Excuse my outburst, but it is scientifically proven that keeping a lid on your anger or suppressing it after receiving an insult or unjustified attack was unhealthy, that is why I am venting it on South Africans. In fact, I feel spotlighting absurdities in our society is a giant stride towards removing them, although I might seem harsh and careless in the way I am expressing it.

What makes most intelligent people passionately loathe those uncivilised malignant and restive nincompoops who inherited a bloody history from the previous regime, is not only their iniquitous and macabre attacks on foreigners,  but their lack of foresight.  

Unfortunately or luckily, history has a knack of repeating itself. In the early 80s, after Zimbabwe attained its independence, Mozambique was being ravaged by civil war while South Africa was reeling under aperthiad, and both nationals sought refuge and asylum in Zimbabwe respectively.

However, both Mozambicans and South Africans were political refugees, but Zimbabweans are now economic refugees all over the world after Zanu-PF ran down a once vibrant economy to nothing. Zimbabweans labeled Mozambicans "Makarushi." Whatever that deragatory name meant, I never had time to find out. Unfortunately, two decades later it was Zimbabweans flocking into Mozambique and South Africa after a historic economic meltdown, and before they settled down in South Africa, they in turn had already earned a derogatory name-Makwerekwere. The same might happen to South Africans.

So one thing South Africans should bear in mind is, with a corrupt leadership, a wobbly economy and a seemingly disorganised opposition, South Africa is sitting on a ticking time bomb and an economic downturn is almost inevitable. At the moment, they are still hypnotised by the few crumbs falling from the habitually fibbing politicians' tables, oblivious of what the future holds for them.

These African gangsters with breathtaking arrogance masquerading as "duly elected" presidents, have milked and bled the once plethoric continent dry, while barefooted and hungry citizens praise sing them as they extemporize their impractical overrated policies and misconstrued nationalism.

Most countries in Africa have had their own share of free-for- all plundering by inconsiderate leaders, and South Africa is not being spared.

When South Africans bludgeon, burn and loot their African brothers and sisters' businesses on frivolous accusations of stealing their jobs they are barking the wrong tree. The truth is instead of falling over each bootlicking and hero worshipping their African National Congress (ANC) leadership, to curry favour from them in return of a few economic dregs, they should  confront them on their failure to transform their lives during their two decades in power.

Although apartheid bequeathed to South Africa a patchwork of mixed and mutually mistrusting citizens, with unwavering will power they can make their country a biblical paradise, and an envy of many.

But if they choose not to notice how their country is being ruined by their very own leaders, by the time they  wake up from their deep slumber, those willing to work will be job hunting in neighbouring countries as illegal immigrants and will definitely face their Nemesis. I wonder what demeaning names they are likely to inherit in foreign countries.

South Africa, like her Zimbabwean counterpart and other countries governed by revolutionary parties, has to deal with clueless youths stuck with medieval ideas who cannot be trusted, and antediluvian war veterans completely out of date, because if it comes apart the regional economic and political effects would be so enormous.

Hence there is need to seriously consider creating a tolerant society, where foreigners are no longer regarded as a source of evil. Whether South Africa achieve that depends not only on their momentary return to sanity, but their subsequent willingness to accept that the history of human civilisation and co - existing is but a moment in the aeon Creation.