When I was a college student in 1990 I took an African Studies course. It was that semester that I was first introduced to the work of Mandela and it was also the time in which he was released from prison. What an exciting time in history.
Some would say things have changed in South Africa. Others would disagree. In recent months news out of Johannesburg is discouraging to say the least. Instead of the violence against the blacks it is now against the foreigners who have escaped poverty and oppressive leaders in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Somali and other African nations only to come to South Africa to live in squatters, face persecution and deal with a back lash of a public frustrated by unemployment and high crime.
Rapidly escalating food and fuel prices increased the tension between poor South Africans and immigrants. However the ruling party, the African National Congress, has criticised police for reacting too slowly to the attacks.
"The delay encouraged people in similar environments to wage similar attacks against people who came from our sister countries on the continent," Kgalema Motlanthe, the ANC's deputy leader told an international media industry conference in Johannesburg. "We are confronted by one of the ugliest incidents in the post-apartheid era".
Several people have been burned to death in the violence and their homes and businesses looted and set fire to. (Taken from article presented in The Guardian May 23, 2008)
More action needs to follow.
