Xenophobia in SA --- Help change the situation!!!
Blind Zimbabweans at Jeppe Street Police Station
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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FBJ vs 702 vs Racism vs....????
NOT SURE WHAT THE FIGHT IS ABOUT ANYMORE....
Sitting in the forum held by the South African Human Rights Council (HRC) regarding recent issues on the Forum of Black Journalist (FBJ) and their subsequent fight with Talk Radio 702, I wondered whether anyone really understood the matter at hand.
The fighting between the two over spilled into a right on attack at each others character. Punches thrown (figuratively), blood shed and in the end no sign of the matter at hand.
Sure 702 had a right to file a complaint at the racial exclusionary manner of the FBJ and sure the FBJ had in return every right to have their voices heard, but the slander on character I really could not understand.
I for one am all for the FBJ. Yes go have a forum for black journalist’s, yes go do good, but yes (damn it) OPEN your doors to whoever wants to attend so that you can all work together to improve the stature of black journalist’s. The FBJ’s exclusionary policy is ineffective and maybe more detrimental to the upliftment of black journalists in the long run.
I’m a young journalist and the slinging match did nothing but make me feel as if I was let down. My idea that unity helps to bridge what has happened in the past seems to be a false utopian hope. I sat there in bewilderment watching people I felt and believed so strongly in making me want to be a journalist; degrade each other that I wondered if I had in deed chosen the right profession.
Journalism for me is to report on the truth and to have voice for those who do not have one. Also to act as the fourth estate. (right?!?!?!?)
But when you here that a certain group of media powerful had a closed meeting with one of the most powerful and influential people in SA, the African National Congress President Jacob Zuma, it makes me wonder if there in fact was an ulterior motive. Sure nothing may have been said or done but the fact that the FBJ excluded others from such a luncheon will make any conspiracy theorist wonder what the TRUTH is.
Anyway now that the ball is in the HRC’s court (so to speak) we will see what happens.
Here’s a full recap on events…
How it started:
Storm brews over journalists' forum
Racism and the media: 'We're not out of the woods'
Take a read at Ferial’s piece in last weeks M&G
Yesterdays round up:
Don't cry no tears, FBJ tells 702
Anyway on a different note…I am highly excited at the moment…My first full page article will be in the M&G paper tomorrow wooohoooo…though its officially not my first one I have written before, this one means more to me and it counts more.
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Frustration
Another long delay before time was given to writing this piece…
There have been various things happening over the last two months. We had Polokwane, Eid, Xmas and New Years. I had my holidays in between and boy was life eventful.
The usual mad rush at the end of the year is expected but throw in the curve ball of the ANC elections and they sure up the tempo. So Jacob Zuma is ANC president and he has been sentenced to a trail by the media till his court appearance in August, I’m sure all of this was as expected. Whether he is guilty, or not or even guilty by association we should honestly leave it to an unbiased court to decide. The ongoing media reports are sure influencing the majority of people in the country and the question will be how to we live with the situation if he is in fact not guilty? The way things are going in most of our heads we have already found him guilty…I wonder what the outcome of the court case will be.
Zuma may have his faults and may or may not be guilty of the fiasco of the arms deal but trying him before the public (through the media) even before his actual court date would be wrong on any part, especially by South Africans who seemingly believe in the justice system. If we wish to have any faith in the justice system we should leave it to them and investigators and judges and lawyers to play their part in the final act.
On another note has anyone any idea on what the actual policies discussed at the conference are and what part do they play in our future? These same policies will be the most important things we look at the next time we go to ‘make our mark’ in the national elections (in 2009). Most of us have no idea what was in fact discussed. The focus was mainly on the presidential race and now on Zuma and his problems. Personally I for one would like to know what economic stance the ANC will be following as well as what social developments and attitude to health will be.
Interestingly the US presidential hopefuls are in the midst of their elections. The focus greatly on the two Democrat candidates – Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Is this a suggestion that the tide has changed so much so that people want a Democrat even if they maybe black or a woman. (Is the US ready for such a change?) The republican hopefuls are also having their very same elections but all you see in the media are the Democrat hopefuls. Interestingly the same close race between the Democrats can be reflected in the republican elections, except they both men and white – one a pastor, the other an out of favour senator.
The policy decisions made by any future president of the most powerful nation in the world will undoubtedly play a major part in the rest of the world – are we, the world, ready to be ruled by a black man or a white woman?
In other news – yes I feel like reporting – it was good going home to the family for an extra long holiday. Eid was as amazing as ever. Slaughtering is an experience that always leaves me on another spiritual level. Sublime may be the word I’m looking for and no that does not make me want to see more blood, just the whole getting involved and knowing why you partaking -- is the ultimate.
Going home was the thing I needed the most. Jhb has left me feeling out of sorts and not me at all. The beach is what was needed with a good few days spent there lying in the sun and getting burnt (yes I’m Indian but I enjoy the heat and sun). The home fires were the usual as well…what with the usual sibling arguments and the parental conflicts (yes with me involved) nothing seemed to have changed – except me. Wonder if Jhb has finally caught up with me.
The feeling of being in limbo was a massive shock. Not knowing in which direction I was heading in Durban and being back in Jhb doesn’t seem to make a difference. Work keeps me busy but the lack of motivation or a reason is scary.
Mmmm maybe I just need to take life by the hand and lead it unto sunset…
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The super-ficial and not so super
Yesterday seemed to be another passing day the only significance to it was the fact that I some how managed to turn a year older. But as my friends say I never grow up. I wonder…is it possible to get older but stay young?
This train of thought naturally leads me to one of my all time favourite books…Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow up. Sounds a bit like me but the whole move to Johannesburg has changed that. I’ve grown in leaps and bounds and have found out the hard way that I really cannot tolerate most women (or rather I cannot tolerate them while I live with them).
The freedom also has gotten to me but I miss home enough to be excited with the prospect of leaving and driving 600km on my own just to see home again.
Anyway on a different note…you know we always ask ourselves what models really get up to… well moi had the pleasure of some how being chosen to do a little short photo-shoot session (along with a few others from M&G) for our advertising and marketing feature on the M&G Cabinet Report Card. I set out with three other women from M&G and I will tell you that they are gorgeous people. Anyway we head off to the photo-shoot and surprise surprise I feel like I’m finally in the wrong profession.
I mean in which office can you conduct a photo-shoot and find the kitchen lady cooking for you all at once. Wait not a kitchen lady but a COOK!!! Anyway back to the point…
And it was all over as fast as it began…so really how hard can it be being a model?
Well from the few friends I know who do it as a living it is harder then the simple shoot I visited on this day, but maybe this little shoot will make me famous lol (I doubt it – all they wanted was my chubby cheeks *giggles*). The whole trying to give what the public want to meet instant gratification is definitely an ugly business. The modelling world is no different but this is one area I will not foray into in the near future.
On a different note…we are heading to Polokwane, to see in the new President of the African National Congress and most probably the new president of
What about the ANC’s future plans, those that the new president will implement. How will they look to govern the future and the lands and people in it? Will they take a new stance on the policy of HIV/AIDS in
Theses are the ultimate questions we should be asking but we seem so caught up in the one of who will rule that we have left these on the wayside. Sure the new president would be the influential power but he will not be going at it alone. These few questions come from a bigger pot that needs asking and these questions will ultimately then decide who will be the ruler of
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