Xenophobia - a view

THOUGH I condemn xenophobic violence, one must remember that most of our struggle for freedom was “with our necklaces and matches”. — Agi Orfanos, Cape Town - The Times

Thousands died in the struggle for freedom.

Most of Africa has had freedom for close to half a century, a period surpassing that of apartheid. But Africa has self-destructed through corruption, genocide and expropriation of productive farms and businesses.

There are more than 15million illegal immigrants in South Africa. They are the majority of the workforce in working-class positions in every aspect of the economy.

Almost every job in a Cape Town restaurant is taken by a Zimbabwean. Every parking attendant is Congolese. Every cook or baker is Angolan.

South African blacks have little chance of finding employment outside the municipality.

Refugees are entrenching themselves in South Africa, the Disney World of Africa.

They are benefitting from schooling, healthcare and even housing, while our own people struggle to survive.

One does not need to question the violence when even the jobs as domestic workers and gardeners are taken by foreigners, while the beggars are South Africans.