EDITORIAL: Vigilantism storm is far from over

Calm may be restored but the storm appears to be far from over, says the writer.

Calm may be restored but the storm appears to be far from over, says the writer.

Published Mar 10, 2022

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CAPE TOWN - Calm may be restored but the storm appears to be far from over.

That is the warning we are sounding to our inept government, as we did in our editorial last week about the dangers of self-appointed community organisations targeting certain groups in society in the name of fighting crime.

The ink of that editorial had barely dried when clashes erupted between members of a local grouping and foreign nationals in Alexandra township, Johannesburg, on Monday.

Members of the so-called Operation Dudula, which has been leading the “inspections”, have been quick to claim they cannot be blamed for the violence as there could be another grouping. However, they have not condemned these actions.

Central to our argument last week was, what happens when those targeted are armed with an intention to defend themselves?

Well, the answer to that question was evident in the events that unfolded in Alexandra when foreign nationals stood up against this bullying, leading to violent clashes.

It is with a deep sense of relief that no lives were lost, but this signals a brewing storm that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Our country can ill afford another stand-off between foreign nationals and locals.

As argued in that editorial, when community organisations take over the role of those we voted into power, then South Africans have a reason to be concerned about their security.

The longer it takes to put out groupings such as Dudula, the more others are established and our country risks sliding into yet another sad chapter in the history books.

The xenophobic attitude of these groupings assumes that Africans and Asians are thugs and criminals whose dignity should not be respected.

How we wish these groupings could spend their time and energy demanding action against farmers, restaurant owners and logistic companies who exploit Africans for cheap labour.

Of course they would not dare because these people, to them, are job creators.

We are not saying that our country should harbour criminals, quite the opposite.

But this does not mean all foreign nationals of African or Asian origin should be painted with the same brush, especially by vigilantes like Dudula.

We remind members of these groupings that our country’s freedom is inextricably linked to those who they seek to chase away.

Their home countries, especially in Africa, risked being targets of the racist and vicious apartheid regime by providing accommodation to our freedom fighters fleeing South Africa in our hour of need. Lest we forget!

Cape Times

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