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In 1994 when South Africa untied itself from the shackles of apartheid to the democratic dispensation, it was endowed with positive and inspirational names such as a miracle nation, rainbow nation and salad-bowl. The characteristic of a salad-bowl is that it carries a product that which results from carefully selected ingredients to make the salad appeals. To this end, the beauty and tastiness of the salad is an outcome of variety of the ingredients put together.
Prior to the xenophobic incidents, South Africa was hailed as a country that demonstrates unity and embracing diversity from people within including the skills brought by people from the African continent. One of the highly praised factor of the developed nations is that of embracing immediate and far-flung immigrants for social and economic strength that they possess and contribute the countries of their choice. For example, France, Germany, Austria, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States are some of the developed countries that have appreciated the skills and talent the foreign nationals have brought into their respective countries hence their health systems and economies are strong. Because South Africa’s trajectory to democracy was abetted by the international community especially the African community, it is essential for South Africans to return favour and help as it was helped.
Given the spike of the xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, the accolades that South Africa once earned of being a miracle nation, rainbow nation, and salad-bowl have been tainted as the international media shows visuals of black South Africans harassing black Africans. It is a shame for perpetrators of this xenophobic violence to resort into barbaric acts of crime and violence to other fellow Africans more-so because it has financial implications on the victims and prejudices South Africans in other parts of the world. In fact media is already reporting that due to the xenophobic incidents, some South African companies have been resented in countries where the foreign nationals come from.
Going forward, it is cardinal that South Africa reclaims its values such as UBUNTU and POWER OF ENGAGEENT to counter the proliferation of these criminal and barbaric incidents which not only affect the foreign nationals but also compromise South Africa’s image and future prospects for economic investment in African countries and beyond.
Writer’s Profile
Moses Mncwabe is a researcher in Cape Town. He is passionate about community development issues including education and health.
