The bloodbath is over, apparently all quiet on the southern front.
The death toll has reached 62 (some people just take longer to die).
The “Burning Man” has been identified (35-year old Ernesto Nhamuave of Mozambique) and buried.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean billionaires who remain less than optimistic about their own free country’s blossoming future and negligible inflation rate continue to find holes in the border fence and flock to South Africa in droves.
‘There has been a clear increase in the number of Zimbabweans trying to cross the border illegally into South Africa since the March 29 election’, the SA National Defence Force said.
Ill-managed (if at all) refugee camps have been set up, with neighbouring squatters complaining that the foreigners they tried to kill or evict are now receiving better treatment and housing (UN-sponsored tents) than those native to South Africa.
Displaced people have travelled from as far afield as Durban and Cape Town – some even by plane – to become part of the camp in Klerksoord near Rosslyn, and be registered by the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Somalis stranded in the Soetwater refugee camp claim otherwise, citing depression and hunger as a reason for jumping into the Atlantic Ocean to drown their fears of repatriation.
As for the motive behind the madness, there are some reports and theories that claim there’s a supposed “third force” at work which attempts to undermine the South African government. Yeah, right! Rumour has it that it’s just a couple of German football-mad neo-nazi right-wing AWB-sympathetic hooligans down south of the Limpopo who simply want to delay the building of the infrastructure that’ll eventually host the 2010 FIFA World Cup so that it’ll default back to being hosted in Deutschland once more and they can re-live their “Sommermärchen” from 2006 to boost their local economy.
“Black-on-black violence”?
Actually, “it’s broke-on-broke violence,” US actor-comedian Chris Rock said at a news conference in South Africa. “It’s broke people robbing each other. That’s the sad thing.”
“Analysts say the attacks partly reflect rising frustration among locals who have watched foreigners – some of them in the country illegally – take jobs because they are either prepared to accept less pay or are better qualified.”
It’s poverty that causes xenophobia, just like poverty (not HIV) that is responsible for AIDS. They’re all rumours, of course… the ANC, under the capable leadership of Jacob Zuma and sometimes-President Thabo Mbeki, has everything under control.
Alan Paton is probably rotating in his grave, crying “Fuck this beloved country!”
South Africa has lost its mind. Blame the brain drain. Or apartheid.
Blame anything, as long as you can blame something other than your own ineptitude.
Image credits: Unknown / forgotten