Violence in South Africa's townships has spread as residents protest about what they say is a lack of basic services, such as water and housing.

Police have fired rubber bullets at demonstrators in Johannesburg, the Western Cape and the north-eastern region of Mpumalanga.

More than 100 people have been arrested during the past week.

In Mpumalanga, there were reports of foreign-owned businesses being looted as foreigners sought police protection.

The rising tensions in the townships have revived memories of xenophobic attacks on foreigners last year in which more than 60 people died, says the BBC's Jonah Fisher in Johannesburg.

Poverty pledge

On Tuesday, police cars were stoned in Thokoza near Johannesburg during a demonstration about living conditions that turned violent.


Map

Township reports
Foreigners live in fear
Zuma's challenges as president

Nearby township Diepsloot saw cars and houses being burnt last week in protest at plans to tear down makeshift shacks to make way for a sewage pipe.

President Jacob Zuma promised to improve service delivery when he came to power in May, and said fighting poverty was his priority.

South Africa announced in June that it was facing its worst recession in 17 years.

The recession and job losses have added fuel to long-standing grievances over the government's failure to deliver basic services, and the protests are the most direct challenge to President Zuma since he came to power, our correspondent adds.

Fifteen years after the African National Congress won its first election, over a million South Africans still live in shacks, many without access to electricity or running water.

The slow provision of replacement housing has long been controversial - nearly three million have been built, but the allocation has been prone to nepotism and corruption.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8163187.stm

It has started again.

As I predicted it was only a matter of time. When we talk now they will say we are hating.

Angelheart, RSA Where are ya'll at now?

morpheus24:

It has started again.

As I predicted it was only a matter of time. When we talk now they will say we are hating.

Angelheart, RSA Where are ya'll at now?

Let me say this,the reason South Africa will never be like any other failed state in Africa is because our people demand changes when the goverment is not delivering.Goverment must listen to its people not the other way round.Fortunately for me I live in a upmarket subburb where service delivery is not and has never been a problem but I do understand the frustrations that this poor people go through,they want the goverment to act on it's promises and sometime violence(not killing) is the only way you can draw attention,esspecially when you're poor.
I don't condone violence but that's the only way they can be taken seriously.This has nothing to do with foreiners but a South African problem

here's the video, next thing the world cup will be out of the continent, http://connectafrica./2009/07/23/south-africa-violence-spreads/

http://www.sowetan.co.za/Columnists/FikileMoya/Article.aspx?id=1032828
I am middle class and proud of it
The F-Word, by Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya
13 July 2009
IF YOU listened to some of the mainstream government communication and you were middle class or better, you would be forgiven for thinking that you do not matter.


It seems to me that there is an inordinate amount of talk about what the government is doing for the poor and the other marginalised, and nothing about how the rest of society – the rich, middle classes and the whites are part of the new project.
Now, before the ultra-leftist and black nationalists get excited, let me declare that any government that initiates programmes to help the poorest out of their morass, especially when they also happen to be in the majority, deserves to rule until whoever they wish to return returns.
We, the middle class, will never be completely free and enjoy the fruits of our liberation for as long as the smell of poverty and marginalisation hangs in the air.
But that should not make those of us who are middle class embarrassed to be in that category.
Instead of celebrating the success of the people who since 1994 have acquired the new status, placing us as close as possible to the realisation of the living wage demanded by the worker movement from time immemorial, we are made to feel guilty that we are in that class.
While I am happy that the government has built 2,6million houses for the previously homeless , returned hectares and hectares of land to the dispossessed and provided safe drinking water and electricity to communities that previously had none, I keep waiting for them to say something to me, who already has running water and electricity in my house.
One gets a sense that our government feels a tad embarrassed with its role in increasing the number of people belonging to this class, even though many of us are direct beneficiaries of its policies such as employment equity and economic empowerment.
Furthermore, instead of pointing to tarred roads (important as they are) and the poorly built RDP houses, the government uses us as living adverts of what is meant by how life has changed since we removed the yoke of apartheid rule.
The marketers seem to be the only people who seem to appreciate that we are middle class. That is why they go around calling us names like black diamonds and induce us to drink what Julius Malema once referred to as “dated alcohol”.
Maybe government’s coyness with middle class achievements must be blamed on this class’ tendency to think itself better than the rest of society – like when they once sought the right to vote for the educated native .
But it is the same class of “chiefs and gentlemen” that formed the South African Native National Congress, and until the most recent ANC elections, led the party.
We simply have no need to pander to the whims of those who romanticise working class or peasantry circumstances.
This especially since such a lot are often intellectual converts to the life they wax lyrical about . If not, they are the people so trapped in a backward mindset that they think that you need to be dirt poor to be “genuinely” black.
One wonders what those who conflate revolutionary blackness with being poor and uneducated make of the many pictures of the likes of Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe looking all regal and sophisticated. One of my favourite Struggle pictures is that of Mandela dressed in a double-breasted suit outside court. Next to him is a gentleman in a three-piece suit smoking a cigarette.
Unlike some of our academics and “revolutionaries”, I have been working class before and when I compare things, I really like being middle class and I am not about to start apologising for it.

RSA:

Let me say this,the reason South Africa will never be like any other failed state in Africa is because our people demand changes when the goverment is not delivering.Goverment must listen to its people not the other way round.Fortunately for me I live in a upmarket subburb where service delivery is not and has never been a problem but I do understand the frustrations that this poor people go through,they want the goverment to act on it's promises and sometime violence(not killing) is the only way you can draw attention,esspecially when you're poor.
I don't condone violence but that's the only way they can be taken seriously.This has nothing to do with foreiners but a South African problem

Every thing that I have written in my previos posts have come to pass. I had said how the government would be confronted early on in its admisnistration regarding the "poor" class citizens.  It is in every SA's right to demand and pressure its government to look into their needs as this is the job they have been elected to do using "Civil unrest", as a means to achieve such a goal. In no circumstance is and should "violence be condoned" as an acceptance for frustrations. Who are you being Violent against is the question?

Stricter welfare state laws will drive investment out of the country as the market enviroment becomes more government regulated. The only way the government can counter this, if they choose to move towards a socialist state is to give the means for their people to become self sufficient by encouraging self reliance. The middle class should be the focus of most of their programs by giving them incentives to create new enterprises therby employing and training underskilled labor. The big business can be taxed a litte more to fund these programs and in exchange they restricted less as far as business is concerned.

PS the word "foreigner' has very evil connotations. Words are very powerful in how they are used. I would prefer you call these people Non South Africans or by their nationalities. At least give them that dignity.

@RSA You are right there. I support you today.

Let me say this,the reason South Africa will never be like any other failed state in Africa is because our people demand changes when the goverment is not delivering.

with due respect, this is a crap!

The only reason SA has not yet FAILED is because the WEST has a HUGE investment in that place!

@Back2Back I really took my time in trying to understand and make sense of your point but I still fail to get it,West controll not only the SA economy but the world economy,Nigeria for example relied on the West for investment,so I really don't understand where you're trying to get to.

I am talking about people vs goverment here,Is South African goverment or leaders too strong to do as they please?Do our people mobilised enough to bring changes when they feel their need are not catered for?

SA people are very vocal,they want their leaders to work for them,I mean two years ago local goverment house and his car was burned down,because people in that part(this are people who voted for him) said that he was not doing what he was voted to do,I know this sound barbaric but I think in Africa if you're modest no one will take you serious when you're poor,you have to be militant of some sort to be heard by our leaders.In SA when people elect you they expect you to work and if you don't they will turn against you.
Some might say our people are just naturally violent,but i say it's a African thing,we are all violent,we have no respect for human life.If only we can deamnd service delivery instate of fighting useless wars.And letting our leaders to behave like little gods.

@Back2Back I really took my time in trying to understand and make sense of your point but I still fail to get it,West controll not only the SA economy but the world economy,Nigeria for example relied on the West for investment,so I really don't understand where you're trying to get to.

dont try to be clever.

WEST have solid investment in SA than anywhere else in Africa.

Many whites are SA citizen and their cousin in the WEST cant sustain them back in WEST if SA go burst like Zim!

It is cheaper for them to have some quiet in SA.

In Nigeria and other Africa place, WEST only do business. They dont have any attachment or HUGE investment!

This is one of the reason they stop all the nuclear weapon once they were ready to handover to Mandela!

Conclusion: South Africa is held together by WEST because of their people still there!

Yeah whatever

RSA:

Yeah whatever

Good that you know what ever!

so dont come here to bambozze us; we know whats up in SA!

West help SA in what way?

SA has borrowed time (or is it suspended sentence (civil war)) after the TRC, however for how long will the ticking bomb continue to tick without blowing or better still defused.
Only by God's mercy

where minority control economy majority (even as in NGN where certain north minority controls 'things'), tension persist

We've just seen 'violence' in post April election. How sad even people on National Service are wasted. Hummmm

We have moved on with our lives as SAs, we do not even have a thought of killing any other race. We understand democracy and that killing each other did not solve anything in any country.

Sekhukhune:

We have moved on with our lives as SAs, we do not even have a thought of killing any other race. We understand democracy and that killing each other did not solve anything in any country.

Right right. tell that to the township people who keep using violence against illegals to make their political point.

You mofo's are still very TRIBALIST.

stop lieing to yourself.

@ Sekhukhune et morpheus24

We have moved on with our lives as SAs, we do not even have a thought of killing any other race

surely a large number exposed and well-informed have moved on but there still exist a large 'majority' who over think highly of themselves

Racism is still rife though not official ('cos of law).
A simple analysis of CCMA and small claim court shows shocking figures.

Being a darkie and not connected isn't typically a pleasant experience.
More so, recent issues in deipslot, zandpruit et al isn't too comfortable.

As lovely as Kapstad (Cape Town) is, racism just stare you in the face even though the perpetrators are getting more sophisticated by the day.

In the corporate, as a darkie more especially african foreigner, you are expected to 'prove yourselves' not so for their preferred 'wit' or indian munier.

Hence, SA has borrowed time (or is it suspended sentence (civil war)) after the TRC, however for how long will the ticking bomb continue to tick without blowing or better still defused. Only by God's mercy

Nonetheless, it's not all doom, therez blue sky on the horizon

For NGNs, apart from the black sheep causing us such bad image, the major culprit are those mafirs in Illovo (our so called consular office folks) who have become a law to themselves and causing mayhems, outdoing High Commissioners that are threats to their thriving businesses.

morpheus24:

Right right. tell that to the township people who keep using violence against illegals to make their political point.

You mofo's are still very TRIBALIST.

stop lieing to yourself.

Morph leave my countryman alone,
illegal drugs,goods,acts or people is unlawful,therefore someone should fix it,its a pity the government is leaving it to the communities to solve it Still,a Nigerian have 1000 more chances of being killed for who he is in Jos than in Jozi,South Africa.

I think also the MOFOs who are still VERY VERY TRIBALIST are found in Nigeria.South Africa have no issues when it come to tribalism.The only time when blacks were killing blacks was during the 90s when Inkatha and ANC supporters were killing each others,and we all know it happened only in Kwa Zulu Natal,they were all Zulus.it was political nothing less and nothing more.

South have many issues and we are not hiding it,the only people on earth who pretend that all is well when things are falling apart are Nigerians,"happiest people on earth" amid all the poverty,corruption and lawlessness in their country.If that is not "LYING TO YOURSELF" ,then what is it?.

RSA:

Morph leave my countryman alone,
illegal drugs,goods,acts or people is unlawful,therefore someone should fix it,its a pity the government is leaving it to the[b] communities to solve it [/b] Still,a Nigerian have 1000 more chances of being killed for who he is in Jos than in Jozi,South Africa.

RIgth, your communities solution is to slaughter people eh!. Good on you.

RSA:


I think also the MOFOs who are still VERY VERY TRIBALIST are found in Nigeria.South Africa have no issues when it come to tribalism.The only time when blacks were killing blacks was during the 90s when Inkatha and ANC supporters were killing each others,and we all know it happened only in Kwa Zulu Natal,they were all Zulus.it was political nothing less and nothing more.

Notice that you are admitting your people are tribalist. Being "very" Tribalist and "very very" tribalist doesn't make much sense.

RSA:


South have many issues and we are not hiding it,the only people on earth who pretend that all is well when things are falling apart are Nigerians,"happiest people on earth" amid all the poverty,corruption and lawlessness in their country.If that is not "LYING TO YOURSELF" ,then what is it?.

Right right RSA.

You better stare your country men clear in the face who refer to other Africans as "darkies" or "too dark" and tell them to go back and take Geography classess again.

As long as some of you illiterates continue to focus on the negatives of Nigerians I have no choice but to highlight your short comings to make it even.

emancipate yourself from mental slavery,

RSA:

the only people on earth who pretend that all is well when things are falling apart are Nigerians,"happiest people on earth" amid all the poverty,corruption and lawlessness in their country.If that is not "LYING TO YOURSELF" ,then what is it?.

so true 

@Morph and the rest,I now want to smoke a peace pipe with everyone,just found my faith and from now on I won't say anything distasteful,hurtful,hateful and bad.I'm going to be a messager of good news,love and peace.

RSA:

,the only people on earth who pretend that all is well when things are falling apart are Nigerians,"happiest people on earth" amid all the poverty,corruption and lawlessness in their country.If that is not "LYING TO YOURSELF" ,then what is it?.

I think you are slightly mistaken. Nigerians tend to be very critical of their country, as you will see when you read threads in Nairaland. The opinion pages of the newspapers are even worse. In fact, it would be correct to describe many Nigerians as self-hating.

As for the "happiest people on earth" thing, it was based on a survey which was conceived, financed, conducted and reported by people who have no links with Nigeria. Social scientists have adduced several reasons why such a finding was made, but I will not go into all that here.

But, of course, there are Nigerians who pretend all is well, mostly those who profit from the bad system or "conservatives" who think only the best should be highlighted and the oppressed left to their fate.

RSA:

@Morph and the rest,I now want to smoke a peace pipe with everyone,just found my faith and from now on I won't say anything distasteful,hurtful,hateful and bad.I'm going to be a messager of good news,love and peace.

Better stop going to those naija churches o!

Besides I detest any form of recreational weed smoking.

morpheus24:

Better stop going to those naija churches o!

Besides I detest any form of recreational weed smoking.

I don't  know about the weed but I know that I'm not hallucinating

I am God and all creation is God and God is love.My mission now is to act Godly by spreading love,peace and forgiveness.

Humm

In so far as lieth with you, live at peace with all men ,

finish and clair