http://www.sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=22966&GroupID=5

Zuma and Khama are right. Xenophobia attacks are Mugabe’s fault

by Sonny Serite
07-05-2015



President Ian Khama last week overcame his phobia for heads of state meetings and attended the SADC extraordinary summit in Harare. Reports coming from Harare say South African President Jacob Zuma found himself on the receiving end when the host, Zimbabwe’s life President Robert Mugabe lambasted him for the recent xenophobia attacks in Kwazulu Natal province which affected mostly Zimbabwean immigrants. It is reported that President Zuma took the liberty to present to other African leaders various measures that are being implemented by his government to tackle the problem of xenophobia. Probably waking up from a deep nap, Mugabe is said to have gotten emotional and spoke at length about xenophobic attacks.

In his rage, Mugabe went on to blame Zuma for the xenophobic attacks and for siding with King Goodwill Zwelithini who made remarks allegedly responsible for sparking off xenophobic violence. Yes, I agree with Mugabe that when these attacks started, Zuma came across as indifferent and failed to publicly rebuke King Zwelithini for his repugnant and irresponsible remarks on foreigners. However, I do not believe Mugabe has any authoritative temerity, let alone moral ground, to blame anyone for the mishaps that befall his people in the diasporas. Many of those Zimbabweans who were affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa are not in that country out of their love for South Africa. They are in South Africa because there is no life in Zimbabwe.

They fled their country because it has got nothing to offer them. Our brothers and sisters from Zimbabwe are roaming our streets to eke out a living. They are not in South Africa or Botswana because Zimbabwe has bad weather conditions. No, they are here because Zimbabwe has bad governance record. They are being attacked in South Africa because their president has failed them.

They are being exploited in Botswana because their president has turned their country into a living hell. They are being trafficked to become prostitutes in Mozambique because Mugabe has not given them any hope for anything better. I therefore do not understand where Mugabe gets the cheek to throw tantrums when the issue of xenophobia is being discussed. And like I mentioned last week, I totally condemn those xenophobic attacks but in my condemnation, I want to face the truth on the true source of this influx of foreigners in South Africa.

It has always been my stance that, these foreigners come to our countries because of the horrible situations in their countries and instead of blaming them or blaming those who meet them with hatred, we need to blame the people who make them run away from their countries. When I heard that during the SADC summit Zuma and Khama were bold to tell it like it is, I was delighted that finally our leaders are doing away with their misguided diplomacy and are beginning to point out the wrongs that bedevil our continent.

“As much as we have a problem that is alleged to be xenophobic, our sister countries contribute to this. Why are their citizens not in their countries?” Zuma is reported to have raised this very important question at the summit as he was addressing the root causes of the xenophobia away from the symptoms that come with it. And Zuma deserves an answer. The ever arrogant Mugabe is reported to have gone silent as Zuma posed these questions.

The answers are there for all of us to understand why these people flock to South Africa and Botswana. They are running away from leaders such as Mugabe. It is therefore plausible to put the blame on leaders such as Mugabe who make their people jump from the pot straight into the fire, as we saw during those xenophobic attacks. It was also pleasing to learn that our President also lent support to Zuma, saying instead of focusing on xenophobia issues, SADC leaders must address the root cause of the problem that include bad leadership and economic mismanagement which trigger waves of mostly illegal immigrants. “Let us address real issues and stop behaving as if South Africa is an employment bureau for the African continent”, Khama is quoted in the Zimbabwean media as having told Mugabe, who has been president since Khama was in diapers.

Until African leaders get their act together and stop looting their countries and terrorizing citizens, xenophobic attacks will never completely die away because more illegal immigrants will continue to come here or go to South Africa and eventually overstay their welcome, forcing locals to chase them away and the chase is never amenable. One can only hope Zuma and Khama will continue to put pressure on that old geezer in Zimbabwe to stop dragging Zimbabwe along to his grave. Zimbabwe is a great country with great citizens who love their country but cannot live in their country because Mugabe has turned it into a living hell.

sonny@thetelegraph.co.bw Twitter:@kuvuki

There is nothing like Bad Government. If the govt of any nation provided for their citizens none of this would have happened. BUHARI take note.

True talk

Thanks nothing but the truth

True talk, if countries would take good care of their citizens, there wouln't be this death in SA and in the mediterenian to italy.

Lots of sense!

^^^^

All South Africans must leave NAiraland. They are overstaying their welcome.

seppuku:
^^^^

All South Africans must leave NAiraland. They are overstaying their welcome.

As long as my country name is not mentioned on this site, i will remain as far away from it, but as soon as you start talking nonsense about my country, i will come to tell you where to get offf.

14:

As long as my country name is not mentioned on this site, i will remain as far away from it, but as soon as you start talking nonsense about my country, i will come to tell you where to get offf.

Stop lieing, we give your life meaning, otherwise you would be at the shebeen talking about how to coordinate the next Xenophobic attacks

seppuku:


Stop lieing, we give your life meaning, otherwise you would be at the shebeen talking about how to coordinate the next Xenophobic attacks

Hey dude, you dont have to be so hateful nah. If you cant love, atleast dont hate. Hate is too great a burden to bear. It can only get you obsessed. We all are attacking the SA's for so called xenophobia but we are nothing better and may even do worse if put in their shoes. Don't allow sentiment to becloud your judgment. Oba Akiolu's case and a host of others are pointers to this fact. One love

Penssuwa:

Hey dude, you dont have to be so hateful nah. If you cant love, atleast dont hate. Hate is too great a burden to bear. It can only get you obsessed. We all are attacking the SA's for so called xenophobia but we are nothing better and may even do worse if put in their shoes. Don't allow sentiment to becloud your judgment. Oba Akiolu's case and a host of others are pointers to this fact. One love

I don't hate anybody which is why I tolerate SAfricans on nairaland.

They also need to learn how to tolerate as well.

morpheus24:


I don't hate anybody which is why I tolerate SAfricans on nairaland.

They also need to learn how to tolerate as well.

Good to hear that. Winston Churchill, a former British PM once said that "you will never get to ur destination if u always stop to throw stones at every dog that barks at you." Some things are better ignored you know.

Penssuwa:

Hey dude, you dont have to be so hateful nah. If you cant love, atleast dont hate. Hate is too great a burden to bear. It can only get you obsessed. We all are attacking the SA's for so called xenophobia but we are nothing better and may even do worse if put in their shoes. Don't allow sentiment to becloud your judgment. Oba Akiolu's case and a host of others are pointers to this fact. One love

if Nigeria ever develops, it will see all of west africa immigrants jumping borders for better life in nigeria. How will deal with those illegals, worst than SA

14:

if Nigeria ever develops, it will see all of west africa immigrants jumping borders for better life in nigeria. How will deal with those illegals, worst than SA

This is what your SA is doing to countries like Zimbabwe then they turn around and ask why illegals are coming into their country. The wealthy are benefitting while you poor mumus are stuck with the consquences and yet you are ready to attack the immigrants. so called leaders of SADC

READ AND WEEP!

WHY ZUMA IS WRONG ON MIGRANTS
Farai Maguwu

As a Zimbabwean citizen and a civil society observer in the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, I will never forget the destructive role played by the South African government in the looting of Marange diamonds and promotion of lawlessness and anarchy in Zimbabwe's multi-billion diamond sector between 2009 and 2012.

I am still shocked when I recall how South Africa overpowered the entire Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) to push for Marange diamonds sales at a time civil society and some governments were arguing that more reforms were needed. As chair of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) in 2011, South Africa threatened to bring down the KPCS if the export ban on Marange was not lifted. This it did with a facade of political solidarity, but in reality to safeguard its selfish business interests in Zimbabwe's diamond sector.




The Marange diamonds discovery was a great opportunity for Zimbabwe to lift itself up after close to a decade of recession. But due to South Africa's looting of Marange diamonds and failure to act responsibly, Zimbabwe slid into the category of resource-cursed states whose massive natural wealth does not benefit its citizens. Thus the complicit role of successive South African governments in undermining good governance in Zimbabwe, including resource plunder is the main reason why Zimbabweans are flooding South Africa in search of jobs.........



....................when I returned to Zimbabwe in August things had changed in Mutare both for the worse and for the good. There was massive wealth in the city. The cost of living had gone up such that I struggled to settle down. Landlords were now demanding US dollars and only those frequenting Marange were welcome as tenants. Then came November 2008 when government violently forced artisanal miners out of Marange. Seven months after taking over Marange, government announced that two mining companies, Canadile and Mbada Diamonds had been nocturnally licensed to mine in Marange.

Mbada Diamonds is a parity venture between the government of Zimbabwe through Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) through Marange Resources -- a wholly owned ZMDC subsidiary -- and The New Reclamation Group (South Africa) through Grandwell Holdings (a shell company registered in Mauritius).

Canadile Miners was also a 50/50 joint venture partnership between the government of Zimbabwe through ZMDC and a South African company, Core Mining and Mineral Resources. At first there did not seem to be much of a role played by the South African government in the events unfolding in Marange. But the silence of South Africa over the human rights violations in Marange was deafening.

Then things came to a head when Abbey Chikane, a South African national who was also the first chair of the KPCS, was appointed to monitor the implementation of the joint work plan agreed between Zimbabwe and the KPCS in Namibia in November 2009. On his first monitoring visit to Zimbabwe, Chikane refused to meet with the civil society. This despite civil society's frantic efforts to meet him. He came under a barrage of attacks from the KPCS family for failing to respect the tripartite values of the KPCS which comprises governments, business and civil society. It was hinted that his reports would be viewed as partisan.


On his second visit, Chikane contacted me for a meeting, following which he reported me to Zimbabwe's state security agents for allegedly passing on to him sensitive information.

This led to a dramatic raid of my home and office by police and CIO. The sensitive information was that human rights abuses and smuggling were continuing in Marange. These facts contradicted Chikane's pre-written report which claimed Zimbabwe had surpassed the KPCS minimum standards.

Meanwhile, while South Africa was busy legitimising the plunder of Marange through manufacturing misleading reports, its citizens and dodgy companies were silently stealing Zimbabwe's diamonds. In 2010, a South African national employed by Canadile Miners, [name withheld], was operating the Density Medium Separator at the Marange plant where he, along with fellow South Africans, went on a looting bonanza.

Mesmerised by his fortunes, he photographed himself with diamonds intending to show his colleagues across the border how one can easily get rich north of the Limpopo, that is, if he is South African. Cameras and cellphones were banned from the plant but this rule did not apply to South Africans. Canadile's licence was later revoked by government on allegations that the licence was fraudulently acquired.

South Africa's craving for Marange diamonds knew no bounds. In 2011, armed with Chikane's monitoring report, the South African government, through the ADPA, threatened to destroy the KPCS if it didn't unconditionally lift the export ban on Marange diamonds. During a heated KPCS intersessional meeting in Kinshasa in June 2011, the then South African's Mines minister Susan Shabangu stunned delegates when she went to the podium shortly after the then Zimbabwe Mines minister Obert Mpofu's to declare that South Africa was going ahead and purchasing Marange diamonds irrespective of the outcome of the intersessional deliberations on Zimbabwe.

As chair of ADPA, Shabangu led the ADPA delegation to Marange several times. They were granted "unfettered access" to Marange by the government.

Consequently, the Kimberly Process was pushed by ADPA, under the dominance of South Africa, to lift the export ban on Marange diamonds in November 2011. Marange diamonds became free for all. Successive Finance ministers in Zimbabwe have professed ignorance on where diamond revenue was going. It came as no surprise when government emerged to announce that alluvial diamonds in Marange were fast running out in 2014.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate how much Zimbabwe lost in potential revenue through illicit financial flows in Marange. There is no denying that billions in potential revenue were lost. If Marange was not an enclave economy, thanks to South Africa's sub-imperial and super exploitative role in the region, these billions in lost revenue could have helped to revive Zimbabwe's dying industry. Infrastructure could have been repaired. Agriculture could have been revived to save millions from starvation. Tens of thousands of jobs could have been saved and thousands more jobs created. But the hope of Marange has faded into the horizon.......................



..............................The question by President Zuma is rather unfortunate. How can Zimbabweans remain in their country when South Africa is undermining good governance in Zimbabwe?

How can Zimbabwe function properly when South Africa is undermining the constitutional role of Zimbabwe's parliament? How can Zimbabweans continue to live in a country they have no stake in?

Humans do not survive on slogans and nationalism. They need food, they need healthcare, they need education and above all, they need opportunities to fulfil their dreams.




http://allafrica.com/stories/201505110570.html

morpheus24:


This is what your SA is doing to countries like Zimbabwe then they turn around and ask why illegals are coming into their country. The wealthy are benefitting while you poor mumus are stuck with the consquences and yet you are ready to attack the immigrants. so called leaders of SADC

READ AND WEEP!

WHY ZUMA IS WRONG ON MIGRANTS
Farai Maguwu

As a Zimbabwean citizen and a civil society observer in the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme, I will never forget the destructive role played by the South African government in the looting of Marange diamonds and promotion of lawlessness and anarchy in Zimbabwe's multi-billion diamond sector between 2009 and 2012.

I am still shocked when I recall how South Africa overpowered the entire Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) to push for Marange diamonds sales at a time civil society and some governments were arguing that more reforms were needed. As chair of the African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) in 2011, South Africa threatened to bring down the KPCS if the export ban on Marange was not lifted. This it did with a facade of political solidarity, but in reality to safeguard its selfish business interests in Zimbabwe's diamond sector.




The Marange diamonds discovery was a great opportunity for Zimbabwe to lift itself up after close to a decade of recession. But due to South Africa's looting of Marange diamonds and failure to act responsibly, Zimbabwe slid into the category of resource-cursed states whose massive natural wealth does not benefit its citizens. Thus the complicit role of successive South African governments in undermining good governance in Zimbabwe, including resource plunder is the main reason why Zimbabweans are flooding South Africa in search of jobs.........



....................when I returned to Zimbabwe in August things had changed in Mutare both for the worse and for the good. There was massive wealth in the city. The cost of living had gone up such that I struggled to settle down. Landlords were now demanding US dollars and only those frequenting Marange were welcome as tenants. Then came November 2008 when government violently forced artisanal miners out of Marange. Seven months after taking over Marange, government announced that two mining companies, Canadile and Mbada Diamonds had been nocturnally licensed to mine in Marange.

Mbada Diamonds is a parity venture between the government of Zimbabwe through Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) through Marange Resources -- a wholly owned ZMDC subsidiary -- and The New Reclamation Group (South Africa) through Grandwell Holdings (a shell company registered in Mauritius).

Canadile Miners was also a 50/50 joint venture partnership between the government of Zimbabwe through ZMDC and a South African company, Core Mining and Mineral Resources. At first there did not seem to be much of a role played by the South African government in the events unfolding in Marange. But the silence of South Africa over the human rights violations in Marange was deafening.

Then things came to a head when Abbey Chikane, a South African national who was also the first chair of the KPCS, was appointed to monitor the implementation of the joint work plan agreed between Zimbabwe and the KPCS in Namibia in November 2009. On his first monitoring visit to Zimbabwe, Chikane refused to meet with the civil society. This despite civil society's frantic efforts to meet him. He came under a barrage of attacks from the KPCS family for failing to respect the tripartite values of the KPCS which comprises governments, business and civil society. It was hinted that his reports would be viewed as partisan.


On his second visit, Chikane contacted me for a meeting, following which he reported me to Zimbabwe's state security agents for allegedly passing on to him sensitive information.

This led to a dramatic raid of my home and office by police and CIO. The sensitive information was that human rights abuses and smuggling were continuing in Marange. These facts contradicted Chikane's pre-written report which claimed Zimbabwe had surpassed the KPCS minimum standards.

Meanwhile, while South Africa was busy legitimising the plunder of Marange through manufacturing misleading reports, its citizens and dodgy companies were silently stealing Zimbabwe's diamonds. In 2010, a South African national employed by Canadile Miners, [name withheld], was operating the Density Medium Separator at the Marange plant where he, along with fellow South Africans, went on a looting bonanza.

Mesmerised by his fortunes, he photographed himself with diamonds intending to show his colleagues across the border how one can easily get rich north of the Limpopo, that is, if he is South African. Cameras and cellphones were banned from the plant but this rule did not apply to South Africans. Canadile's licence was later revoked by government on allegations that the licence was fraudulently acquired.

South Africa's craving for Marange diamonds knew no bounds. In 2011, armed with Chikane's monitoring report, the South African government, through the ADPA, threatened to destroy the KPCS if it didn't unconditionally lift the export ban on Marange diamonds. During a heated KPCS intersessional meeting in Kinshasa in June 2011, the then South African's Mines minister Susan Shabangu stunned delegates when she went to the podium shortly after the then Zimbabwe Mines minister Obert Mpofu's to declare that South Africa was going ahead and purchasing Marange diamonds irrespective of the outcome of the intersessional deliberations on Zimbabwe.

As chair of ADPA, Shabangu led the ADPA delegation to Marange several times. They were granted "unfettered access" to Marange by the government.

Consequently, the Kimberly Process was pushed by ADPA, under the dominance of South Africa, to lift the export ban on Marange diamonds in November 2011. Marange diamonds became free for all. Successive Finance ministers in Zimbabwe have professed ignorance on where diamond revenue was going. It came as no surprise when government emerged to announce that alluvial diamonds in Marange were fast running out in 2014.

It is difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate how much Zimbabwe lost in potential revenue through illicit financial flows in Marange. There is no denying that billions in potential revenue were lost. If Marange was not an enclave economy, thanks to South Africa's sub-imperial and super exploitative role in the region, these billions in lost revenue could have helped to revive Zimbabwe's dying industry. Infrastructure could have been repaired. Agriculture could have been revived to save millions from starvation. Tens of thousands of jobs could have been saved and thousands more jobs created. But the hope of Marange has faded into the horizon.......................



..............................The question by President Zuma is rather unfortunate. How can Zimbabweans remain in their country when South Africa is undermining good governance in Zimbabwe?

How can Zimbabwe function properly when South Africa is undermining the constitutional role of Zimbabwe's parliament? How can Zimbabweans continue to live in a country they have no stake in?

Humans do not survive on slogans and nationalism. They need food, they need healthcare, they need education and above all, they need opportunities to fulfil their dreams.




http://allafrica.com/stories/201505110570.html

another frustrated foool

14:

another frustrated foool

That's your best comeback

The truth is hard to swallow when it stares you in the face!

so called leaders of SADc who's job is to use their neo western capitalist heritage to suck the continent dry.

morpheus24:


I don't hate anybody which is why I tolerate SAfricans on nairaland.

They also need to learn how to tolerate as well.

Okay, so Seppuku & Morpheus24 are the same person? Good to know, one should have figured this one out sooner as their obsession with SA gives it away.

OohLalah:

Okay, so Seppuku & Morpheus24 are the same person? Good to know, one should have figured this one out sooner as their obsession with SA gives it away.

You haven't been on Nairaland that long have you?

Seppuku is the alter ego of Morpheus24

seppuku:
^^^^

All South Africans must leave NAiraland. They are overstaying their welcome.

This is a Public Forum.

Centrifude:

This is a Public Forum.

This planet is a free planet as well!

Did you create it?

morpheus24:


You haven't been on Nairaland that long have you?

Seppuku is the alter ego of Morpheus24

No offence but I think you've been spending too much time on the internet mate.

morpheus24:

This planet is a free planet as well!
Did you create it?

Yes I did.

Centrifude:

No offence but I think you've been spending too much time on the internet mate.

My lifestyle affords me this luxury and please do not even mention Yahoo Yahoo boy in your response. I am far far from that!

morpheus24:


My lifestyle affords me this luxury and please do not even mention Yahoo Yahoo boy in your response. I am far far from that!

No you don't have life outside of your computer dude!!!

Centrifude:

No you don't have life outside of your computer dude!!!

says the Xenophobic South African.

morpheus24:

says the Xenophobic South African.

Really now

“Let us address real issues and stop behaving as if South Africa is
an employment bureau of the African continent”, Khama is quoted in the Zimbabwean media

http://www.sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=22966&GroupID=5

14:
“Let us address real issues and stop behaving as if South Africa is
an employment bureau of the African continent”, Khama is quoted in the Zimbabwean media
http://www.sundaystandard.info/article.php?NewsID=22966&GroupID=5

You simply have to strengthen your immigrations laws and make it difficult for economic migrants to cut corners i.e. everyone should follow due process. All other countries that have an influx of immigrants have figured how to take care of their citizens needs first and at the same time acknowledging the inflow of people coming into their shores and your Home affairs is pretty much borrowing all the methods employed by these countries.

You are however the only ones who have acted out on your Xenophobic tendencies on people who are of the same RACE as you!

seppuku:


You simply have to strengthen your immigrations laws and make it difficult for economic migrants to cut corners i.e. everyone should follow due process. All other countries that have an influx of immigrants have figured how to take care of their citizens needs first and at the same time acknowledging the inflow of people coming into their shores and your Home affairs is pretty much borrowing all the methods employed by these countries.

You are however the only ones who have acted out on your Xenophobic tendencies on people who are of the same RACE as you!

Thats what israel is doing,

https://www.nairaland.com/2315844/israeli-government-refugees-go-back

14:

Thats what israel is doing,
https://www.nairaland.com/2315844/israeli-government-refugees-go-back

Israel has some serious Geo political issues that would make them paranoid since Aggressive Arab states will find any means to infiltrate their country and cause chaos aka suicide bombers and the likes.

The best refugees can do in South Africa is sell sweets and cigarettes on the streets of Johannesburg or open up barber and spaza shops in Townships.

seppuku:


Israel has some serious Geo political issues that would make them paranoid since Aggressive Arab states will find any means to infiltrate their country and cause chaos aka suicide bombers and the likes.

The best refugees can do in South Africa is sell sweets and cigarettes on the streets of Johannesburg or open up barber and spaza shops in Townships.

And illegal immigrants? What do they do, sit around.