Out of control Xenophobia

For those of you who have been following South African news, you will know about the radical Xenophobia sweeping my country.    Xenophobia as defined by wikipedia is ‘fear or contempt of that which is foreign or unknown, especially of strangers or foreign people.’

Our townships are full of Zimbabweans, Malawians, Somalians and a few other African people.    They are generally well educated and have formed an integral part of township enterprise and life.   Many are teachers, business people, IT guys and other skilled people who work in SA.    I don’t know what happened and who got talking to different black South Africans around SA, but all of sudden this terrible violence and hate and murder and pillage broke out and many were killed or hurt.   Businesses have been looted and burnt down.    Homes have been robbed and destroyed with foreigners fleeing for their lives.  Families have been displaced and with cell phones stolen or destroyed, many have been unable to make contact with each other.
On Friday the townships in my area went crazy and many people were evacuated or fled.   My church is busy housing 500 plus of them and it has been an insane 24 hours.   We have another 1500 housed by 2 other churches.   Our group are in a factory and it resembles New Orleans stadium after the hurricane.    People are all over the place with their meager possessions.  Babies and children are too numerous to count.   One little baby was only 18 hours old when this happened so spent the night with her mom at another church members house.    It feels crazy and chaotic and unreal.   We have no electricity in the factory so rely on a generator.   In one section we have a bathing area set up with big tubs of warm water and urns to keep filling them.   We have queues of naked women waiting to wash and it’s quite something to see these brave ladies.  Kids and babies were washed earlier and the men will get a turn tonight. We have a store full of baby products, formula, baby food and clothing.     We also have a food store with all sorts of goods.  We can’t heat anything up or store anything in fridges so it’s just insane!

Colleen & I have joined the food team and today we went off to serve lunch.  The food was supposed to be delivered.  It didn’t arrive and we frantically had to put together lunch for 500 people.    Later we discovered that the locals had heard about this free food and they arrived en masse.    Ironic hey, one minute they are hating them and the next minute eating their food.    We had no control of who was staying there and must have fed about 800 people.  Tomorrow will be better as we have worked out a better system. I think these poor people have seen the very worst and the very best of South Africans.    This relief effort has been amazing, people are constantly streaming in dropping things off at the 3 refugee centers.   Food, clothing, toys, love…. It’s all been given in abundance.   Everyone is doing their bit and the churches in my area are united in their efforts.    I feel desperate for these people, especially the Zimbabweans who will have to go back home with nothing, to nothing.     They have lost their homes and their jobs and most of their possessions and their own country has nothing to offer them.    Don’t think I love my own people any less, like any terrorism or violence, it is always a few vicious and violent ones who destroy everything for the majority of peace loving people. 
Tonight Gary is on supper duty and I’ll go back down for breakfast.    If you are South African and have the same situation where you live, I suggest taking down ready made sandwiches or soup to your local crises center. Such hate, where does it come from?

Comments

[Kelli]

Wow, I can't even imagine. I haven't heard anything about this until you're post. We'll be praying! Wish there was something we could do to help!

[millie]

How can I help? I've been reading about this and am just so very sad.

Seriously if there are ways I can help please let me know.

[Melissia.]

You are so good to put yourself out and in harms way. Please be careful. We are getting very little news coverage of this in the United States. I am not sure why.

[carosgram]

I was totally unaware until I read your blog this morning. May God's strength see you through this, may His mercy be with all of these people. In Jesus' name I pray.

[Flicka]

Oh my goodness, Mel! I am praying for you and your church as you serve and most esepcially for all those separated, hurt and destroyed by this violence. How frighteningly awful. Please be careful. Let us know what we can do from here, if anything. In the mean time I am praying and praying and praying. God is with you, brave Piglet.

[Rae]

I'm with some of the others and have heard nothing about this till reading your blog. I'm really having a hard time grasping what they are doing. It sounds just horrible tho. Are you scared at all?

[angel]

it is frightening and heartbreaking.
good on you for being so pro-active!

[Mizasiwa]

we have heard reports that they are attacking and looting and burning the shops owned by chinese shopowners too now...these people dont deserve to be treaded so inhumanly but i cant help but think there is some kind of political undercurrent here!!
You are so kind to be helping in such a real way!! Most peopel would rather turn a blind eye or look the other way.

[Bianca W]

Oh Mel - you just made me feel so inadequate! I am in KZN and so far, things here are still calm. (Jeeze, I hope it stays that way).

I have no idea what started all of this, but it is just devistating. I DO NOT understand it at all - and like you am asking "where did it come from?".

I am praying that is stops as quickly as it started, and that those poor poor people that have alread fled a country that turned its back on them, will be able to re-build their lives. My heart just BREAKS for them.

Well done on getting involved - you are amazing.
God Bless.

[Jeanne]

I am aghast at what's been going on. And kudos to you for getting out there and helping (not that I thought you wouldn't!). There is so much talking going on about what can we do, what can we do, but very little DOING. A friend of mine is a city councillor in Joburg and she has also been working tirelessly with the Methodist church up there (amongst others) to try and get relief to the displaced people. To give you an idea - Jeppe police station is currently makeshift home to 150 babies - you can imagine what a nightmare that is.

If anybody reading this is in Joburg and wants to donate items, food or money, here are the details:

"Our list of needs (in no particular order) with the ongoing need for food and blankets:
Nappies, rubbish bags, Oros for the kids, any first aid items (large surgical gloves), medicines like Panado syrup and Immodium etc, toys, sanitary towels, soap and face cloths, tooth brushes and toothpaste, pilchards and eggs, margarine/butter, Purity baby food, baby bottles, baby formula, disinfectant, washing up liquid!

DELIVERY POINTS FOR AID:
Linden CPF have agreed that residents in the area can drop off donations to the Trauma Centre at the station in Boundary Road, Linden OR Randburg Methodist Church at the corner of Bram Fischer Drive and Grove in Blairgowrie OR
Blairgowrie Residents Against Crime at 5 Jean Road, Blairgowrie OR
Rosebank Union Church at St Andrews and William Nicol Drive, Sandton OR
Bedfordview Methodist in Van Buuren Road, Bedfordview OR
Also Methodist Church in Primrose

MONEY DONATIONS CAN BE MADE TO:
Randburg Methodist Church
Standard Bank Randburg
A/C: 021649995
Branch Code: 01800590
REFERENCE: REFUGEES"

[charne]

My hubby has 7 malawian men working for him and belive me they live in fear in the informal settlement...

They have asked as to store all their belongings. They told us that if they get attacked they will not want to run for their lives if their belongings are in the house, so if they have no belongings there they can just run if they come under attack!

They told us they sleep in the clothes with there shoes on just incase they get attacked at night! Imagine living in such fear!!!

I wish there was something more that we could do for them... I do not know of a shelter for the foreginers in our town and our house is to small to take all 7 people in...

O how i pray this ends soon

[Louise]

How totally awful.

Praying for those under attack.

God bless you and your church for helping!!!!