I have a part-time housekeeper, Fellice, whom I can ill-afford, but she really needed a job, and I really needed some help. Fellice is from Zimbabwe, where, thanks to Robert Mugabe, everyone is now a millionaire (1 Zim $ = 0.00000000390974 US$, or to buy 1$US would cost Zim$255,771,415). She is here to work, because, not only aren't there any jobs in Zimbabwe, even if you have a job, inflation pushes prices up on a daily basis, and even then you are lucky to find food on the shop shelves to buy. She has kids to support who stay there - working in South Africa means the (relatively) good exchange rate enables her to educate, and feed them.
I don't know how many of you follow the lesser international news, but suddenly xenophobia is rife in South Africa. What started as a few isolated incidents against foreigners (and these are almost all refugees of one kind or another), has escalated. Now there are attacks and murders on people springing up all over. The city center, where Fellice stays, was safe - until yesterday. There have been a reported 20 murders there from yesterday to this morning alone from that one area.
Fellice told me she saw one man shot to death in front of her, while others lay bleeding from beatings. From what she, and others have told me, the violence comes predominantly from the Zulus, and, besides foreigners, members of other South African tribes, such as the Pedi, Tswana and Shangaan are also being attacked and murdered.
She left for home a short while ago, and I am praying she gets there safely. Please do keep her and others in your thoughts and prayers. I just feel so sad that South Africa is going down this path yet again. There are major conflicts in areas which are no more than a 20 minute car ride from my home, and no-one appears to be able to stop them. We are all wondering how long before it comes closer. For those who have found a safe-haven here, after suffering terribly in their own countries, this must be devastating.
Fire-flower posted on May 19, 2008
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Comments
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wishyouwerehere said on May 19, 2008....
This sounds horribly frightening and sad, Flower. I will keep this area of the world in my thoughts and prayers. -
diabolicdame said on May 19, 2008....
I had read about the inflation thing when they had to introduce a 500,000 currency note but not about the killings! That sounds terrible and scary! I'll be prying for her safety.. -
Fire-flower said on May 19, 2008....
Thank-you both. I've just watched the news, and the violence still isn't under control. I will tell Fellice that you are thinking of her and praying for her. -
polarheart said on May 19, 2008....
FireFlower, you are from the land of my birth. We have been living in the UK for the past 4.5 years, my husband's parents were from here originally. When we came over it was for various other reasons than crime and we never thought ourselves as escaping South Africa.However, now that all these terrible things are happening thereand seeing how in just 4 years things have become increasingly worse, it does feel like we were blessed to leave when we did. But we still feel concern for those we care about who have to live through all these things.Of course there is crime everywhere and the UK is no paradise, but there is still a lot more "safety" here than in SA.Blessings to you and Fellice.Polar -
lionesss said on May 19, 2008....
yes i have been watching everything thats been going on in zimbabwe and what robert mugarbe is doing, anyway england isnt a paradise either,im sure she will be home ok,it makes you wonder a beautiful country such as africa, as turned into a hostile evil place,to think also not far away is all the game reserves and wild life its a great shame -
bluegum said on May 19, 2008....
from what i see on the tv channel's regarding zimbabwe i feel sorry and saddened by robert mugabe's government failures to govern for all zimbabwe's people.back when zimbabwe was taken over by robert mugaba zimbabwe was exporting food ,and we have seen no attemp of substance to rein his government in its almost like zimbabwe dosen't have any natural resorces to buy so dont bother about any humanatarian reasons.blue. -
Fire-flower said on May 19, 2008....
Polar!!:):):) Thank-you for your kind words. You are right - things are getting worse. Quite frankly, I wonder how it long it will hold together, now that violence has erupted. Thank God you are there. Other friends who've moved to the USA and UK, and come back to visit have all been appalled.
Lioness - you are right, it is a terrible shame that a continent with such beauty has been turned into a place of misery, war, corruption and genocide.
Blue - I hate to say it, because my natural inclination is to want to send help, but I've no doubt that any humanitarian aid will go straight to Mugabe's lackeys, and not to those who need it. Short of an army going in there to straighten it out (and who wants that responsibility? Certainly not South Africa - the government here doesn't think there's a problem in Zim) I feel like it's just one of those things you have to sit on the sidelines and watch. Thanks for stopping by....
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silverwhisper said on May 20, 2008....
it's a terrible truth that xenophobia rises when immigrants/refugees come in greater numbers: witness how close xenophobe le pen nearly became the french prime minister a few years ago.
i will keep felice in my thoughts, fire-flower.
ed -
Fire-flower said on May 20, 2008....
Thanks Ed. The part that they are leaving out on news coverage, is that it's not only foreigners who are being attacked. Certain South African tribes are also being picked on. But true - when things go wrong, immigrants/refugees are an easy target. Yeah - if le pen nearly came in in France, then how much easier here? -
silverwhisper said on May 21, 2008....
i trust felice got home all right?
ed -
Fire-flower said on May 21, 2008....
Fellice is ok, and asked me to tell you all thank-you for your concern. She makes sure to get home by about 1 every afternoon, around that time there is less tension. Once home, she and everyone else she knows barricades themselves in - they have a self-imposed curfew. It's settled a bit in the city center, so we'll just have to hope it's under control. -
silverwhisper said on May 21, 2008....
thank you for the update, fire-flower. :>
ed -
efdargon said on May 22, 2008....
Really tragic. I'm following thru on the Zimbabwe fragmentation. This is nice info from the ground, from ordinary folks caught between the conflicts. Sad, really sad.... Erle Frayne Argonza -
polarheart said on May 23, 2008....
Fire-Flower, someone sent me some gruesome photos of the things happening. It is just awful! I pray that Fellice will continue to be protected. -
WASnotWAS said on May 24, 2008....
This is sad! -
cuppajava said on May 25, 2008....
Hi.I'm currently living in South Africa,and yes it is as bad as they say it is.The strange thing is that the police are still under orders to use minimum force and have not been issued live rounds to sort the people out.Up to yesterday,they ahd made about 800 arrests.But whats the point??Its not sorting the problem out.The whole point of it is that the locals suddenly have this idea that the 'foreigners' are stealing their 'jobs,women and food' as well as taking their houses.The government in this country is more interested at the moment in renaming all the street names after apparent black heroes of their day and 'struggle heroes'.Including a man called Andrew Zonde.He planted a bomb in the Kingsway shopping centre in Amanzimtoti in 1985 that went off and killed a large number of people.Now they want to rename the street that the centre is on,after him.sickening.There was a meeting in parliament on Friday to put the street name changes through as law - all the opposition parties walked out.But the ruling party still went ahead with out them.Having said that,during the time of the elections in Zim,OUR president came out and said that there was 'no crisis in Zimbabwe' I dont know what cartoon he was watching.But I dont think it was the same one the same channel the rest of us were watching.I want to leave.I came here when I was 12 from Ireland and have been here for 25 years.But I have made a life here,so i am now bound to stay.I hope your lady is safe,wherever she is...... -
Fire-flower said on May 26, 2008....
Thanks for stopping by guys, and for all your comments. Cuppa - I have to say that if the same people who rename the streets were in charge of hospitals and Eskom, this country would run like a well-oiled machine. Their efficiency is just unrivalled. As for foreigners taking their jobs - well I'm sorry, but what I see are people who don't want to work at all. If the foreigners can find and hold down jobs, so can they. The difference is they don't want to. They want everything and more handed to them on a silver platter. I have been a little ray of sunshine prattling on about the shiny future South Africa had. I was wrong. It has no future. It's not a question of political belief, or culture, or race. This country is just fucked - it's a question of fact. I'd be thrilled to be proved wrong, but, somehow, I don't think I will be. -
cuppajava said on May 26, 2008....
You sound like you live in south africa ?? I'm in Durban -
dancingdiva said on May 27, 2008....
I will say a prayer too. -
Hexie said on May 29, 2008....
Dear Fire.
I've been watching the developments here in South Africa with a shall we say jaundiced eye. Alot of what is happening with the xenophobic attacks could have been avoided by proper management. But both you and I know that the current regime are more interested in filling their own pockets than really tackling the issues. And there are many issues. I was born here in the early 80's, I wondered off as soon as I was able. Now I'm back... The bizarre thing is: Here in Zululand these things really do look like it's happening in another country, and we're close to the borders of various powder kegs here.
It aught to be interesting to see if these attacks spread to here as well. I'm aware that these attacks have taken place here in Kwa Zulu-Natal in the metro areas. Personally I'm quite dissappointed that it's coming to this now. Strange as it seems though. Those of us that have been gone a long time still feel Africa calling us home, it's a completely unexplainable feeling really. Now I've been home and it appears that I must organise an exit strategy already. Life gets complicated for the global villager, you've tasted relative civilisation, found it wanting to a certain degree, only to return to a state that has gone currupt and barbarism has become the order of the day.
My thoughts are with both you and your helper.
As for Eish-kom... they've stopped the loadshedding here in uMthlatuze City for the moment, I hear they'd run out of coal somewhere... Which is just the most amazing amount of codswallop ever... The Richards Bay Coal terminal is still running coal out of South Africa..... But like I said, they're only out to line their pockets and the economy be damned... Strange that. I wonder if they realise they're shooting themselves in the foot....
Welcome back to the Dark Ages South Africa
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crybabylu said on Jun 01, 2008....
i have been praying daily about this
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