Townships tense after xenophobic attacks

[xrapidx]

Townships tense after xenophobic attacks

xenophobic - Xenophobia is a fear or contempt of that which is foreign or unknown, especially of strangers or foreign people.[1] It comes from the Greek words ξένος (xenos), meaning "foreigner," "stranger," and φόβος (phobos), meaning "fear." The term is typically used to describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from oneself.

I see this word has just been learnt by the media and is being used all over - in this story it seems it is used to replace black-on-black racism - or am I missing something?

Johannesburg - Alexandra and Diepsloot were tense, but quiet on Thursday morning in the wake of suspected xenophobic attacks that have killed at least three people since the weekend, police said.

Captain Louise Reed said one man was injured when an angry mob shot him in the head in Diepsloot on Wednesday evening.

"The situation in Diepsloot is tense. In what we suspect was xenophobic attacks, a mob shot a man, threw stones at the police and looted spaza shops," Reed said.

She could not confirm an SABC report that two people were killed in Diepsloot or that the violence started when foreigners fleeing Alexandra township arrived in taxis in Diepsloot.

Diepsloot residents blocked the entrance into the township outside Krugersdorp on the West Rand, burning tyres and placing objects in the road.

A heavy police presence is monitoring the situation.

Over 50 arrested in Alex

Police director Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said the Alexandra township was calm on Wednesday night. The last incident happened at 20:00 when shots were fired at the police and the police dispersed a crowd with rubber bullets.

Three people have been killed in Alexandra since suspected xenophobic attacks started on Sunday evening and dozens have been injured.

The police have arrested more than 50 people for various crimes, including rape, murder and robbery.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

I pity the spaza shop owners - they won't be able to get their businesses up and running again

Why loot spaza shops? Seems that criminals will use anything as an excuse to get something for free...

 

[mercurial]

Why all this violence?

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Why all this violence?

Mass hysteria.

 

[w1z4rd]

So, the "fear" of people from another country is xenophobia...? But acting on those fears with violence... is that not when xenophobia becomes racism?

 

[xrapidx]

So, the "fear" of people from another country is xenophobia...? But acting on those fears with violence... is that not when xenophobia becomes racism?

Thats what I wanna know... is attacking someone because they're from a different place, of a different culture, etc., etc. now called xenophobic
attack?

So the next white-on-black violence is also going to be called xenophobic attack?

 

[arni1954]

It is fascinating how quickly the oppressed became the oppressor . South Africa is on the right path to hell.

 

[IanC]

So, the "fear" of people from another country is xenophobia...? But acting on those fears with violence... is that not when xenophobia becomes racism?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines racism as:
1 : noun 1 the belief that there are characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to each race.
2 : discrimination against or antagonism towards other races.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines racism as:
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination

The Oxford English Dictionary defines xenophobia as:
1 : noun intense or irrational dislike or fear of people from other countries.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines xenophobia as:
1 : fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign

What one calls the violence is subjective and therefore largely irrelevant, the fact is, it's happening.

A couple of points to consider and I am shocked the government didn't see this coming:

• The SA government has a large, poor, unemployed community with very little hope.
• The SA government then allows foreigners to be introduced into this mix.

What did they think was going to happen??

 

[milomak]

xenophobic attacks = attacks based on xenophobia? seems about right to me. the terminology. not the attacks.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

So much for it being a 'Third Force' starting this ..... have a look at the picture in the Mercury with all the school students taunting one of the refugees through a fence ......... yeah, they look 'Third Force' to me

 

[The Cosmos]

Why all this violence?

The country that has gone to hell.

 

[milomak]

So much for it being a 'Third Force' starting this ..... have a look at the picture in the Mercury with all the school students taunting one of the refugees through a fence ......... yeah, they look 'Third Force' to me

that really doesn't disprove the existance of a "Third Force". Not that I am saying there is one.

 

[Keeper]

Great. those zim imegrants should know whats coming to them if they decide to shack up here.

Just because our borders are open don't mean we want you here..or atleast, those living in the shacks don't want you here.

Violence on illegal aliens means less violence on us. Good Job guys, "ama ichase away"

 

[xrapidx]

Yeah... thats a good idea... promote crime... let them get used to the lifestyle, and then when they done getting away with it on Zimbabweans... they'll be ready for you.

Also, not all the Zimbabweans being attacked are illegal... some are legally in the counry - Actually, just the other day they burnt one to death that was legal.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Great. those zim imegrants should know whats coming to them if they decide to shack up here.

Just because our borders are open don't mean we want you here..or atleast, those living in the shacks don't want you here.

Violence on illegal aliens means less violence on us. Good Job guys, "ama ichase away"

Oh yeah good attitude buddy

 

[hawker]

Great. those zim imegrants should know whats coming to them if they decide to shack up here.

Just because our borders are open don't mean we want you here..or atleast, those living in the shacks don't want you here.

Violence on illegal aliens means less violence on us. Good Job guys, "ama ichase away"

Yea awesome! I read in the newspaper yesterday that one of the mobs killed a South African guy..... Yea, lets promote violence why dont we...

 

[Road runner]

Imo. Work is harder to find than we are told, and this is a knee jerk re-action to the guaverment opening the borders and allowing this flow of work less people.

 

[hawker]

Well does killing people, evicted them from houses, stealing and looting solve the problem. Does saying that work is hard to find justify their actions? I don't think so...

To quote the black eyed peas:
"What ever happened to the values of humanity?
What ever happened to the fairness and equality...."

 

[Moederloos]

Well does killing people, evicted them from houses, stealing and looting solve the problem. Does saying that work is hard to find justify their actions? I don't think so...

To quote the black eyed peas:
"What ever happened to the values of humanity?
What ever happened to the fairness and equality...."

Well, yes. It will solve the problem.
If all foreign nationals are killed or return to their countries, they will not be filling positions that locals could have.

Does it justify their actions? Who knows - come ask that question again when you have no work, your family is destitute, and some border hopper is doing a job that you cannot get.

EDIT:
There is some quote I do not feel like hunting down now, along the lines of:
"Society is only three meals away from anarchy"

 

[DarkDenim]

These attacks are a direct result of foreigners willing to work for far less than the South Africans. I used to drive to Sandton (Marlboro drive) to pick up someone to work on my parent's garden. South Africans were generally lazy and wanted more money, whereas the foreigners worked hard and were very happy with R10/R20 per hour.

The problem is that there are just too many poor foreigners and it's affecting the livelihood of poor South Africans. The ANC should've stopped the influx of foreigners long ago.