Are South Africans ashamed of the anti-migrant actions? Really?
South Africans didn't have to lift a finger to let March and March do its thing. It did its thing.
President Ramaphosa recently declared that South Africans are "deeply concerned and ashamed" that people from other nations were treated badly and even forced to leave the country under threat of violence. It begs the question: are South Africans truly ashamed of these acts of anti-migrant violence?
While it's understandable that many South Africans were appalled by the xenophobic attacks, the president's statement implies that only a few individuals engaged in the violence. However, the statement ignores the many who enabled, supported and condoned the attacks. If only a small number perpetrated the violence, how could all South Africans be held accountable?
The president's words seem to shift the blame away from the broader society that allowed such hatred to fester. It's one thing to express concern over a few extreme acts, but quite another to claim the entire nation feels shame for something so egregious. More telling would be to ask if enough South Africans actually felt ashamed to make a significant difference.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
