"Why are we being treated like animals?"

THE first thing one senses when entering the refugee camp at the Glenvista rifle range in Johannesburg is, isolation. Here is a group of destitute foreigners who are in South Africa because they fled their respective countries because of either war, famine or whatever other problem that the African continent has inherited, and they come to our country, only to be treated like a distant cousin.
When the xenophobic attacks first broke out, I felt ashamed as a South African, but when I visited the camp and saw a one month old baby wrapped in nothing but a dirty rag, I felt ashamed as a human being. As I was walking around the camp I was drawn by the sound of a crying infant and upon further inspection I saw a mother and her three infants sitting around a camp fire with two pots on the fire. The mother told me that she’s preparing their first meal of the day (it was approximately 11am) and her infant was crying because she was hungry. It took everything in me not to break out in a sob right there in front of them, so I just walked away. The majority of the people said they had opted to cooking their own food because the food provided at the camp gave them diarrhea.
I came across a teenager who was carrying two knitting needles and wool. She’s a grade 8 student in a school in Pretoria and she said they were given the needles and wool by the Red Cross to keep them busy. She was knitting herself a scarf for winter. But before I could escape she asked me, “Why are they doing this to us? Why are they treating us like animals?” I didn’t know what to say, so I just looked at her and assured her that things will get better and everything will be back to normal soon and she could go back to school.
I certainly hope that something will be done to remedy the situation; either by being integrated back to their old communities or improving their current living conditions.

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.

Rome was not built in one day

South Africa is in its 14th year of democracy, and people are accusing the government of letting them down. South Africans are not satisfied with service delivery the government is providing them, they believe the government hasn't done enough. Mama Marry Sibiya a 58 year old from Alexandra a township North of Johannesburg points out Rome was not built in one day. She proudly showed us the book that encouraged and kept her strong, the Nelson Mandela auto biography "A Long walk to freedom". Mama Marry has been staying in Alexandra for as long as she can remember and believes things have changed as compared to the past where there was no electricity,water and roads. Mama Marry is an inspiration especially for the youth of South Africa who she believes are just complaining about everything and do nothing to change things. Of cause there's still a long way to go and much needs to be improved, but let's remember fellow South Africans Rome was not built in one day.

Caged in?

How ironic is our country’s fight for freedom? During this 10 day long seminar we had the chance to visit Constitutional Hill and a refugee camp in Glenvista Rifle Range in Johannesburg. After these visits I can not stop myself from thinking that there are many similarities between the imprisonment of political prisoners back in the apartheid era and keeping refugees in camps around the country now.


Here are some comparisons to help you understand. Our tour guide at Constitutional Hill told us that the prisoners were mainly fed bread, porridge, tea and sometimes they got some coffee with a bit of sugar and fruit. This was a little more than the six slices of bread, tea and sometimes fruit that the government is feeding refugees in the camps at the moment. Even the sleeping arrangements have some similarities. Prisoners had only one blanket, while the refugees also have to do with just one. Sleeping on the floor, cement or a tent floor, is another thing these people have in common.


This has left me with the question, are we really free in South Africa? Even us as normal South Africans are been caged in by all the barriers we’ve erected around our homes and workplaces to keep us safe from the escalating crime situation we face.

By stating all of this, I want to bring home the point that many South Africans still don’t have our democracy’s promised freedom (and I’m not going to say our new democracy, because after 14 years, I don’t think it’s new anymore!) It is such a shame that, in such a vibrant and beautiful country, we are in so many ways caged in. I hope we all rise to the occasion and realize or own responsibility regarding freedom, especially the government!

Who are we or who are we not?

I ask this question because my soul is shocked to its core because of what we do as so called African.
When visiting the glen vista rifle range refugee camp near Booysens in Johannesburg I felt stripped naked with the feeling of someone staring at me. Fellow Africans that have been relocated from places they once called home,to tents we call shelters.
Forcing them 14 different nationalities to stay together, men women and children
people full of anger and fear, fear for being treated like animals that are being led for slaughter by the once nation that brought hope to them.

Rows of tents opposite the mansions.




We fellow country men and women say,we don't want the kwere kweres here and at the same time its them crying saying we don't want them here!!!

Have we forgotten about the time when our own country did not want us?
stop and think of these times,think who reached out welcoming us in their countries
fellow south Africans,it is said you don't bite the hand that feeds you.
we have bitten the hands that fed us when our motherland was not ready to feed us.
when we were orphaned by south Africa because of the apartheid!!!


This brings me to my contention that our souls have been bared,our consciences need cleansing as we question our motives,should we love our brothers and sisters or should we hate them!!!


We grabbed in to assist by providing food and aid to those displaced!

However amid all of this it was disheartening, I felt as if I could have been someone else except me when i heard the cry of these people.

David Shabani from the war torn Burundi whom i spoke to ,told me with tears in his eyes that as we were pushed away in the past the only place he had to call home pushed him away now. Telling me that since he came into life he never had to queue for food neither had he to fight over two slices of bread.



People at the shelter are receiving bread, polony, and some juice as well as chicken which might not be ideal for those of them who established themselves well in the communities that now don't want them there.

David Shabani still remains positive saying unlike other refugees who demands to be deported he would still like to stay in south Africa. If they still do not want me i will kill my children and myself. was the words of Shabani, a man that is as broken as the branch of a tree by an elephant.

Who will take responsibility for the blood of these people and on whose hands will it be!!!

It is said that our people should be educated to accept foreign nationals the same should be extended to those we shelter,their situation is painful!!! Something is seriously wrong in our country. The killings of our cousins from all over Africa have resulted in friction that we, with our children and their children will be confronted with for many years to come.

During my visit to the camp I noticed that many of these people were full of fear - hardly saying anything - extremely quiet in fear of being asked to say elbow in Zulu which means indololwane fearing as they are not zulu for failing to say it correct and being attacked again.

I am not comfortable with the idea that these people saw me and my fellow journalistic friends as monsters asking me upon entry at the refugee camp,are you coming to kill us again.


Let us remember that these people are our brothers and sisters from our other mothers.

Social ills contribute to crime

Unemployment, poverty and a lack of education are some of the issues which were identified as contributing factors to the high crime rate in the country. This transpired at the million man march which was held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Tuesday. The march was organized by comedian and actor Desmond Dube and its aim was to highlight the scourge of crime in the country and to let government know that more needs to be done to eradicate crime.


The target was for one million people to attend, but being a Tuesday less than 4 000 people were able to participate. Despite the low turnout, the people who did manage to attend showed their commitment to fight crime and to work together with government in doing this. There were lots of people from different civil organizations, different schools and church groups. Some political parties used this opportunity to campaign for next year’s presidential elections.


People were carrying placards with different messages to government and there was also a lot of singing, people singing struggle songs and church songs. Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour received the memorandum on behalf of government but he was booed off the stage halfway through his speech, which was a way of people showing their frustration towards government and that they’ve had enough.
All in all it was good seeing South Africans from all walks of life coming together and uniting against the crime.

Listen to the voicer Hlengiwe filed for Gagasi 99.5 FM:

Enough is enough - no more crime

Thousands of South Africans marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria on 10 june 2008 in a bid to fight against crime. There were whites, coloureds, blacks and they all showed unity against crime. They were carrying boards which said, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" lets stop crime. Organiser of the march Desmond Dube said, "Government must do something to stop crime and if they fail to do that, they must step down from their positions. '' He said, "It's a crime to receive a salary if you not dop the job.''

Some political parties used this oppotunity to canvass for the 2009 elections such as the Democratic Alliance and AZAPO. President Thabo Mbeki could not be there personally but former minister of Safety and Security Sydney Mafumadi was there and with the current national minister of Correctional Services Ngcode Balfour but he was interrupted by the protesters during his speech and that forced him to quickly end his speech.

cry the beloved country crime kills us

A disappointed South African Nation that are sick and tired of not being able to live out their right to belonging .
Organising the million man march against crime Comedian and actor Desmund dube said that the nation are sick and tired of the high rate of crime in south Africa as well as the aproach of government on crime in the once peaceful neighbourhoods of the beloved country.

Not a million but more than enough South African man and women gathered in front of the Union building in Pretoria to show how gatvol as one of the placard's states strongly they are for criminal activities including the silence of the president and his cabinet over the high rate of crime that keeps peaceful citizens imprisoned in their homes because of the fear of falling victim to crime.
Desmund dube expressed his concern over the absence of President Thabo mbeki , A once strong leader but now a lame duck as he has been called by politicians.

Democratic alliance leader Helene zille also lashed out against government saying that government should not be deaf to the cry of the beloved country ,accusing mbeki of being ignorant she called upon the nation to vote to power real leaders

From the perspective of a journalist speaking to some of the people i could sense that the south African public has reached the point in the countries existence where it is dangerous to be a criminal

A nation fed up for the silence of the leadership that causes harm to a once respected nation
hampering not only growth in the country ,but avoiding potential investers to invest in this country.

Which is leaving me with a question!!!

Wheter the nation are going to vote in 2009

I have falled victim of crime to many times
I will not vote to power back boneless people who are out to enrich themselves
Was the words of a young south African women i spoke to

LET US REMEMBER THE INOCENT LIVES THAT WAS LOST DEU TO CRIME

!!! I SALUTE ALL OF THEM !!!

As South Africans we should remember 1994 and should vote in order to voice our opinion

Great stuff

Roderick Titus
03 towerkop street
upington
northern cape
republic of south Africa
e.mail me at.miche@webmail.co.za

Nkosi sikelela i,Africa