#SAYNO2EveryPhobia

I do not think it is sufficient to attribute ignorance as the chief cause of the Xenophobic outbreak trending in South Africa. This is a poor diagnosis of the situation as the waters run very much deeper than a general lack of information on South Africa's history with it's neighbouring countries on the continent. Although one can effectively argue how poor education needs to be addressed it is only but one of the many other socioeconomic issues which fertilizes the seeds of savagery to sprout forth. It is ignorant to not perceive and diagnose the outbreak in it's proper context. It is ignorant to assume that the perpetrators are just derelicts who would repent if they could just attend a quick crash course on SA exiles during Apartheid. Such a line of thought is void of an understanding on SA's history on Xenophobia and other crimes relating to diversity. It also divorces the problem from its people- for education alone has not always proven to be the sole anecdote to poverty.

By trying to understand Xenophobia we do not by any means try and look for grounds for it's justification. It's a process we undergo to understand the stage our young democracy is going through. A democracy which hails itself in it's constitution as a non-racial and non-sexist society, but still exerts its patriarchy at the expense of innocent lives. South Africa asserts itself as patriarchal when it doesn't tolerate other ethnic groups. South Africa asserts itself as patriarchal when it doesn't tolerate people of other sexual groups. Corrective rape and hate crimes are still social evils destroying lives in our young democracy. Whether its Homophobia or Xenophobia, both aren't taken seriously until an outbreak occurs. A proper understanding of such phobias will lead to a more proactive rather than reactionary approach in dealing with their crippling effects.

It is the audacity of a people to disregard the rule of law and commit gross violations of human rights, that really gets one's blood boiling. An injustice unto death is one that is to be condemned with much passion. South Africa as a society is not consistent in it's solidarity against human rights violations. The same religious institutions which are vocally preaching 'SAYNO2Xenophobia' take a different tone and condone Homophobia by doing nothing when other lives are being endangered under similar auspices.
If we are still tolerant of derogatory terms in reference to foreigners- we are as Xenophobic as those looting foreign owned businesses. The seeds of such outbreaks have long being sowed and watered as we view them as 'barbarians' everytime we refer to foreigners as 'kwerekweres', that should be strongly discouraged. If our speech is so oppressive- why do her actions bewilder her?

The deep rooted issues behind the frustrated perpetrators shaming South Africa are clouded and have to do with more than just 'ignorance'. Xenophobia has broken out before under our young democracy so blaming a Zulu King's utterance is naïve. If the socio economic issues and patriarchial mindset society has, can consistently and pro actively be addressed in times of peace and turmoil, an appreciation of black and gay lives can be envisaged in the name of... Oh... Uhm... What is vogue nowadays? Equality!

#SAYNO2EveryPhobia

Aluta continua.