Maseru, June 26 — South Africans (SA) are now divided on views on social media about issues of illegal migrants and the attacks against them.
One of them, Mr. Robert Shivangu says some among them are revoking nationalism to hunt down and chase those that are assumed not to belong in SA, saying perhaps it is a classic case of some being more South African than others.
He said the SA economy has been built and anchored by African migrants for close to 200 years.
‘’Most of these migrants, from countries such as Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe were conscripted to work in the mines in the gold fields of Johannesburg, diamond fields in Kimberly and copper in Musina. These migrants were brought here to work, sometimes for little or no pay in conditions that mirrored slavery.’’
He added that SA has benefited a great deal from migrants and it is no wonder they have one of the most advanced economies on the African continent. Migrants are part and parcel of South Africa’s success story.
He also highlighted that today, SA hosts the most migrants from the African continent and this is not a coincidence it is because this country inspires their dreams and aspirations.
Shivambu also noted that some of these migrants are not living in SA rent free. He commented that they are bringing economic value to the country and they are also paying taxes, through the services of economic value which they are rendering to the SA economy, which are building hospitals, schools and other public goods. ‘’In other words, it is a lie that migrants are not contributing to building the SA economy.’’
Furthermore he indicated that these migrants have a right to be treated in SA public hospitals and to attend school because it is not their fault that the State is not building enough schools and hospitals to meet the growing population demands while the law guarantees them these rights.
He also warned that the danger with non-State actors openly calling for migrants to leave SA or harassing them through demanding their proof of identity, documented or undocumented, is that they are breaking the law, adding that under the law, only immigration officials and the police are empowered to police the documentation of people, not random people.
‘’If you are going around as a private citizen asking people to provide proof of identity, you are breaking the law, just like the same people you are calling illegal. You should be charged in a country where the rule of law works.’’
Shivambu said the whole issue could have been handled in a more dignified and legal manner if the law is used to protect everyone, but there has been missing centralised effective authority to handle this problem to protect everyone, documented or undocumented.
‘’But if you look at how African migrants are being humiliated and harassed in SA today, you have to ask the question: who benefits from this humiliation of our fellow African brothers and sisters?’’
He said those who have done some studies in migration will know that it is never an easy decision for anyone to leave their country of birth for another country, that is why some migrants leave a death wish to be repatriated back home for burial in the unfortunate event of dying in a foreign country, and that is how difficult and painful for some people to leave their home countries.
He reiterated that the SA economy today benefits a lot from the African continent, than those countries are benefiting from it. He said there are more jobs that have been created for SA as a result of the demand for their goods across the African continent.
‘’South African multinational corporations in food production, retail and telecommunications are benefiting a lot from the African continent today. Can South Africa stand alone on its own as an economy? No, it is not possible.’’
Some of the responses from SA citizens highlighted that some still believe migration is the root problem of issues such as unemployment while some understand it differently. Some SAs say if the government was doing its job right there would not be any need for June 30 march to kick out all ‘’illegal migrants’’.
Some expressed their worry about ill activities conducted by migrants that they say include not paying tax, because they pay by cash, not through the bank (99.5% of them), and they are not contributing to the country’s GDP, further pointing out that most patients in public hospitals are unknown people who do not even contribute a cent to the SA economy.
Meanwhile, it is alleged that Lesotho citizens residing in SA are preparing for war ahead of June 30 march.
Ends/MP/tl
