INSIGHTS

These last two weeks have been the most argonising one that I have experienced in ages. I turned to journalism for the reason that presented itself in the last week. Xenophobic attacks, displaced people, pure utter thugery all in my own back yard. I would never have thought it possible. I honestly thought one day I would be travelling to OTHER African countries to cover stories like this.

Now I get to cover it without stepping off my door step…

Makes you wonder --- doesn’t it?

These same people who think its okay to beat up innocent people need to take a look at what they really trying to achieve with their nonsense.

I mean – do people know that this has been the first necklacing (where pple are burnt to death by a tire round their neck) since Apartheid – almost 20 years ago!!!!!

Has South Africa lost its soul?

There are many reasons as to why this seems to be happening and even though it may have started as Xenophobia its honestly changed to something worse -- feels amazingly evil. When have you ever seen Johannesburg city dead at night???Never!!! But its become like a ghost town of late. Mobs of youngsters inciting violence and also just looting for the fun and sake of it. That to me is definitely not Xenophobia.

I went to the refugee camps and I was brought to tears to see young children who have been born and schooled in South Africa asking “Why is this happening?” with the heaviest South African accent I have heard. Innocents with the only fault that their parents are not from South Africa. “Can you brings us chocolates and biscuits and colouring books when you come again?”

That’s all they ask for even though they are now living with out a roof over their heads!!!! In make shift tents in the grounds of Jeppe Police Station they stay with their mothers and other children, while their fathers or older male siblings stay in the cold under the night stars.

Huddled together for warmth I find a group of Zimbabwean blind people who are in dire need, as what ever blankets that were distributed they were forgotten about in the ensuing stampede. They are blind they cannot reach the people handing blankets out -- they are the forgotten!!! When do we ever turn on the disabled????? I read a letter written by them to the South African people --- do you know what they say --- They THANK us for allowing them to beg to gain a little money!!!! They Thank us!??!?!?!?!? Do we not get it?!??!?!?

There’s a group of people dancing and singing praising the Lord… they don’t do it because they happy, they do it because they hope something better comes from it…they do it so that they can find a way to stay warm…they do it because there is nothing else they can do while they wait for help.

Given only four slices of bread for the day these people are starving, destitute and with the weather conditions the way they are at present most likely to freeze to death.

Anyone wishing to help in any way you can contact:
Islamic Reflief and Gift of the Givers are based in Mint Road, Fordsburg and take donations at their offices. Alternatively Gift of the Givers has a huge truck taking donations outside Village Walk in Sandton today until about 6pm.

Or MAIL ME: zahirakharsany[at]gmail.com

Anything welcomed including your time as only 10 volunteers were present at Jeppe when I visited.

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