The Foreigner Speaks Of S.A.

I could still hear the goodwill messages from my relatives at the forecourt of the Kotoka International Airport. It was a journey to the South to seek greener pastures, and Oh! How true my imaginations about South Africa were when my colleagues who had gone there before described her exquisite beauty.

Talk of Bloemfontein, known as “The city of roses”, the beautiful bloom and the annual rose festival that is held there, the iconic Table Mountain of Cape Town, A trip to Nelspruit, the gateway to Mpumalanga and the Kruger National Park with abundant sunshine and moderate sub- tropical climate and Port Elizabeth, endeared as South Africa’s ” Friendly City”, not forgetting the famous Pretoria, fondly known as “Jacaranda City”, Johannesburg’s quieter sister because of its more laid back atmosphere. In fact, eyes cannot resist gazing at this mouthwatering sight. Indeed this pasture is greener than I thought, a source of vitamins to my famished pocket.

A country which has suffered many setbacks with Apartheid being the principal of all setbacks, South Africa has really recuperated from the various injuries sustained during the Apartheid era, producing astute personalities like Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), the first black president and the first democratically elected president of South Africa in 1994.

Madiba, (that’s what they called him in South Africa), father of the nation, revered as a God. Jan Van Riebeeck (1619-1667), the founder of Cape Town, He was an explorer and originally “discovered” South Africa in 1652. Jacob Zuma, incumbent president, just to mention a few. These personalities have been instrumental in the making of South Africa what she is today.

South Africa announced her presence at the world stage when she hosted the 2010 FIFA world Cup for the first time, making her the first country to host the world’s biggest soccer fiesta on African soil. For a foreigner like me, it was a spectacle to watch, enjoying the beauty of the country.

The over 2 billion viewers across the world will bear me out on the beauty and ambiance showcased during the tournament, with beautiful cities like Soccer city, Durban, Cape Town, making the spotlight. Once again, South Africa has been caught on the compasses of the world’s sailors, this time in ugliness and abhorrence, marring the hard-won reputation and the beauty she possesses. The dreams of the beauty of South Africa have been replaced by the nightmares of the unreasonable hatred of foreigners called Xenophobia.

The pastures have turned hay, the land flowing with milk and honey as perceived by foreigners is now flowing with blood and grief. An accusation by no fault of ours. The feeling of homesick is felt in the blood of every foreigner as we watch our fellow foreign brothers lynched in a barbaric fashion.

A sorry sight by any stretch of imagination. The memories will forever remain in our current troubled minds, memories that certainly have swept away the beauty and the glories of South Africa, leaving the pain and grief of resident foreigners like me. South Africa, now a word that connotes brutality and sets the teeth on edge.