Is it xenophobia or just frustration?

Politicians are further dividing people on migration matters

The image of South Africa is being tainted daily with horrific images of foreign national women losing their unborn babies because they have been denied access to medical attention at clinics and hospitals.

Tensions are rising daily between the natives and foreign nationals in different communities across the country, they have reached inhuman levels and cruelty. One wonders if this truly is xenophobia or a frustrated community ignored by its own leaders.

Migration is part of life; people migrate all the time since the beginning of time. People migrate for different reasons, these may include economic or asylum; whatever the reason, we need to understand that migration is part of life and will continue to happen until the end of time.

In the 80’ and 90’ we grew up with some foreign nationals amongst us, there was never a time whereby they would be treated bad because of their nationality, even though there were some derogatory names ascribed to them, we generally lived at peace with each other.

Over time, South Africa started experiencing an influx of illegal migrants, either in search for greener pastures or running from a war zone. As systems crushed in some African countries, inflation skyrocketing and life becoming unbearable, health care systems also crushing; South Africa became the big brother of Africa.

Being far from home, the foreign national becomes cheap labour in South Africa, a shift came into play as some employers preferred cheap labour over hiring South Africans. The foreign nationals started to dominate some of the sectors, including hospitality, farming and domestic work. One may argue that South Africans do not want these kinds of jobs, but they spark tension either way.

Furthermore, in the township economy, foreign nationals have taken over spaza shops. There are reports that they even threaten natives who try to run spaza shops, they force them to close their businesses.

However, the main question is, how did we get here? Was our government not aware of the influx? People have been crying for years that they are not happy at the rate of illegal foreigners entering the country, with some committing some of the most cruel and violent crimes. Now things have reached frustration levels with foreign national occupying every corner of the country, even allegedly high-jacking buildings, selling drugs, running heist and human trafficking syndicates.

I personally believe that South Africans do not mind sharing part of their country and resources, but they feel like no one is listening to them, the government is protecting the foreign national instead of its own people. We have heard reports of hospital beds being fully occupied by foreign nationals and the natives would give birth on the floor while one who is illegally in the country is comfortably sleeping on a bed.

In Zimbabwe, the health care system is in shambles, it is understandable when people cross over to use the facilities in South Africa. Unfortunately, they get into the country illegally, they overwhelm the system, South Africans can’t even use their own hospitals and clinics.

Though one sympathises with the foreign nationals, news of them stealing people’s identities and making life difficult for them is not helping. Political leaders are not helping either, some call for foreigners to be kicked out, some call for the protection of foreigners widening the division even more.

Operation Dudula has taken matters into its own hands because they feel like their cries are falling on deaf ears. They now dudula every foreigner, they go to health care facilities to prevent foreign nationals from entering. They say South Africans first. Whether this is right or wrong, is another thing. The main thing is, are politicians, the government listening to the people?

Things are seriously escalating and we are about to witness loss of life like in 2008, with xenophobic attacks taking place in 135 location across the country. History shows that there have been 669 deaths emanating from xenophobic attacks between 1994 and 2024; over five thousand foreign nationals were displaced. It was a horrific scene indeed and history has a tendency of repeating itself.

Are our leaders going to play hide and seek until things get out of hand again? Serious steps need to be taken to appease the natives. To argue that we are all Africans; that South Africa is for all who live in it, that facilities must benefit those living in the country is just going to anger the masses even more.

This is not a time for point-scoring, electioneering or politicking, people need solutions yesterday. They need a brave leader who will come down and address their concerns and fears, whether they are real or not, one thing is for sure, communities are frustrated and blood is about to spill.