Sunday, 15 June 2008
WOH! WOH! WOH! IS SOUTH AFRICA OUT OF THE AFRICAN MAP?
There are about three thousands people from different African countries who are sttaying in a refugee camp at the Glenvista rifle range in Johannesburg following xenophobic attacks. When you arrive at the camp, you see white tents which are in close proximity and people moving up and down and their faces show alot of crisis. The camp is closed with a wirefance to protect the refugees. I spoke to Simon Muchangazike from Zambia and he told me that South Africans attacked them and they said they must go back to their countries because they are foreigners. He said they call them KWEREKWERE. Simon further said that he has been living in the country for more than six years, but this year he was attacked by the same people he called his friends and the people who were working for him. Simon said he had a photocopying and photo studio but all his equipment was stolen by his workers. He said he has a wife and child but his wife is back in Zambia but his baby is still in South Africa. He carried on to say that there is not enough food and not enough blankets to sleep and its cold because its winter. Simon said they feed them expired food and if they are sick they give them expired tablets. He said they want to go back to their countries. I also spoke to Mzilakaweh Folochawye from Gana told me that he was in love with a South African lady and she took all his staff and money and said she will kill him if he doesn't go back to his country. Life is really bad there as they sleep together in the tents and there is no privacy, they bath infront of others and even toilets are closed together. Some of the refugees drew a replica of the African map, but showing South Africa as not being part of the continent. Many of those people are skilled, one of them told me that he is an aeroplane engineer and is afraid that he has lost his job. The refugees said they don't want to stay in South Africa anymore, even if you can promise them one million rand NO NO NO. They want the South African government to take them back to their countries because South Africans call them MAKWEREKWERE.
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