Why, Lulu Xingwana, Why?

“We have a responsibility, all of us to create jobs and opportunities for our people and not look at one country to do it.

“And this starts from poverty, all of our countries must create jobs and opportunities for their people so that we don’t all flock to one country because the one country would not be able to cope. If all of us were coming to Ghana, would you cope? Would you?

 “Fake goods are actually destroying our economy. People cannot bring fake goods and sell them in the streets of Johannesburg and the police don’t act. Foreigners that are doing the fake business. People will bring these things from Somalia. Some of these things are poisonous. Poor people do not know because they are cheaper. Then they will buy and get sick.” – Lulu Xingwana, South African High Commissioner to Ghana, on latest xenophobic attacks in South Africa

THE NEW PUBLISHER considers the statement quoted above, which is attributed to the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms. Lulu Xingwana, as not only insulting to the people of Africa, but also heartless and undiplomatic.

The paper finds it strange that, in this age and time, machete-wielding people captured on video roasting their fellow human beings in broad day light (in a stone-age manner) and torching their businesses, are being ‘defended’ by no less a person than a woman and a diplomat.

Ms. Xingwana, on Wednesday asked African governments, whose citizens were attacked South Africans, to create jobs for their citizens at home to discourage them from travelling out for greener pastures.

She further argued that it was wrong for anyone to have attributed the attacks on fellow African nationals to hatred.

THE NEW PUBLISHER wishes to ‘thank’ the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, and for that matter, the South African people and government, for their cruel and inhuman treatment to the rest of the continent.

If for nothing at all, Ghana went out of her way to support, harbour, and sponsor many of South Africa’s leaders during their liberation struggle.

In fact, by 1957, Accra was described as the ‘extra-metropolitan’ centre for Southern African anti-colonial nationalists and anti-apartheid activists, where Freedom Fighters and expatriates first traveled to for help.

Once in Accra, the leadership of the groups, including the ANC, NDP, PAC, ZAPU and ZANU worked with the government of Ghana in establishing an anti-colonial policy that contributed to the eventual independence of many countries in the sub-region.

It is also on record that, even after Nkrumah, Ghana in 1986 paid a heavy price when she boycotted the Commonwealth Games, in Edinburg, Scotland, to show solidarity with South Africa, and as a result forfeited her Visa-free status with the United Kingdom.

We are also aware of how Nigeria seized British Petroleum (BP) and other British banks to, as it were, tie the hands of Britain and catalyze the liberation of South Africa.

The paper strongly disagrees with Ms. Xingwana that the attacks on other African nationals in South Africa are not xenophobic. After all, when did looking for jobs in other countries, and selling ‘fake’ goods become crimes that are punishable by instant death?

Why, Lulu Xingwana, Why?