Dear Comrade Malema

So, the mighty Malema fears death after all. He was called a cockroach by the Speaker of the House after he and his rowdy Members of Parliament made a nuisance of themselves during the State of the Nation address by the President last week. The speaker explained in vain that the sitting was not a 'Question and Answer Session' but a chance for the President to tell the nation where they are and where they want to be and how he intends taking them there. But Malema would have none of it; he wanted the president to tell the nation when he would re-pay the Nkandla millions. No amount of explaining would move Malema from his stance. Someone says may be he wanted the speaker to explain using diagrams as happens in Wood Work lessons. Security details had to be asked to escort him and his mob of red fellow cockroaches outside the august house. Well, all this is beside the point. My real bone of contention is that Malema does not like to be called names.

Let me assure you there comrade Malema - you are not alone. At least you have had your apology, although we all know it was half-hearted. We are called names everyday here - no-matter how well-behaved and hard-working we are - by fellow Africans whose struggles and destiny are inseparable with our own. We dare not answer; lest we are accused of stealing some local's mobile phone and get instant mob justice. We might not be a voting constituency here, yet, but most of us work hard and are law abiding non-citizens who deserve better. And if it is true that security forces get paid from our taxes, then we also deserve to be protected like anyone here too. We deserve to go to institutions whenever there is a need without the fear of being pushed out of the queues or frowned upon because we are 'makwerekwere' or 'magrigamba' or aliens or foreigners.

But one must understand why you are not happy being called a cockroach; reminds you of what happened in Rwanda after one tribe was called by the name of this internationally hated insect. That same tribe was almost obliterated from the face of the earth. As we speak, some of those responsible are at The Hague. I know a few gangsters that hate The Hague so desperately they call it all sorts of names too. If they had a chance they would just embark on 'Operation Mrambaswina' and flatten it, together with its occupants. Or does it remind you of the close to thirty thousand Matabele massacred in the eighties? It also had started as some kind solemn of name-calling, and the rest is history. But, up to now, we are still waiting for an apology for both the name-calling and annihilation of our people. And what happens each time you or Zuma talk ill about foreigners? Xenophobic attacks - that is what happens! And the deportations increase three fold. And we begin to worry because we are also human beings with fears of our own, like you.

A worried and frustrated Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice' embarks on a plea to the Christians who abhorred him for the simple reason that he was a Jew:

"I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, heal'd by the same means, warm'd and cool'd by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, do we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that."

But, as I said, we have been called names even where we come from. Fear grips us, and we take flight to your country not just because we have common struggles and destiny but because we also see you as a big brother, ingwele, who can protect us. To illustrate what I am talking about, here is an excerpt from one very private reading: "You Ndebele (Matabele) people should go back to South Africa where you came from. You took our women and think that mashona takapusa. Now that the land reform is over we are going to embark on Ndebele women redistribution. Come on let's take our women back and drive out these animals back to Tshaka's land. Plus Zimbabwe will never be ruled by you dzvitis. Imbwa dzevanhu."

Well, there you have it; names that usually precede manslaughter. And instead of waiting to be driven back to Tshaka's land like stray, rabid animals, we have come on our own accord. But then, there are still very brave Matabele out there, like this one who answers thus: "May you please forward the name of your woman who was taken by a Ndebele son, you son of a b**ch. If Ndebeles are stupid and you are clever, why is Zimbabwe a laughing stock to the rest of the world? And did your land reform program bring enough food to your table you tribalist? As for distributing us, you will only distribute your mother and sisters and cousins among yourselves you incestuous son of a b**ch!"

So Malema, you do not want to standby and witness another mass murder, either through starvation or the pangas. As for the Mzilikazi's people all here gathered, we have nowhere to go really. A place we have called home for centuries has never been so homely after all. We are like children whose parents died under very suspicious circumstances, and the distant uncle who adopted us is the most abusive man alive. He hates us for no other reason than that we are Matabele but would use '-- -stole our women and cattle' excuse, in this modern era.

Incidentally, I wonder what Tshaka would have said or done with us? History tells us he tried hard to have us back; and in their skirmishes with Mzilikazi, not once did he disrespect his once trusted General. So, would he have slaughtered the fattened cow for his long lost sons and daughters or would he have dispatched us back across the border, against our will, or order that all three million of us, be slaughtered and fed to the crocodiles of the Limpopo?

The locals here engage in crime and will readily and conveniently blame foreigners, just like what happens with an adopted child emzini. This they do because they know influential people like yourself detest and strongly despise foreigners. And the Baleka called you cockroach for the same reason- that not even one person the word over, likes this insect, thus turning the world against you! And it is this loathing and anger that will shut our eyes and minds to the truth. For instance, there were no prisons in this country until the first foreigner arrived? All your people were and are still a God-fearing, righteous people? Where we come from, no one would ever dream of keeping a fire-arm. But here, even kids in grade four carry some in their school bags. And honestly, we are not the distributors of these lethal weapons.

But, is it true what others say? That the government has taken such a strong stance against us because of Bheki Cele and the president of Zimbabwe? Cele hates foreigners with every muscle of his body and ounce of his blood. He has inexplicably emerged as Minister of land and agriculture, and the one and only law he managed to come up with vis a vis land is that no foreigners shall own land in South Africa. This means right from a small space to erect your mkhuku or spaza shop, to big commercial farms. And Mgabe has not helped matters with his bellicose and pompous utterances. He claimed recently that it was his people that are the back bone of the South African economy. How reckless can one elderly person become! And South Africa has said 'Yebo, ucabanga njalo wena khehlandini? Khona sizake sibone!' Hence the hostile environment we now find ourselves in. And each time he opens his mouth, riding roughshod over the West, Britain and America double their efforts to deport Zimbabwe citizens. And he never apologises. So Malema, kwehla ngamphimbo munye wethu! Next time you call someone, even your President, names, think of us too! Think of us as people who were created by God in His likeness - people who must have basic needs and rights to survive. And think of what Shylock says too, in 'The Merchant of Venice'!

Ngiyabonga mina!