Neo-Apartheid: SA’s Way of showing gratitude?

Gone were those years whenever an African child, South of the Sahara, was determined to pick up arms and march down to Southern Africa and liberate their siblings down there who were suffering under apartheid.

Stories coming from that country were so grim, and one wondered how the Whites could do this to fellow humans and then go to church on Sundays to praise and worship God, while they put the Blacks in concentrated camp conditions.

The Black South Africans were under a new form of slavery and were kept apart from the Whites, who lived a Heaven on Earth. The Blacks needed to have legal documents to travel from one place to another within the same country, and so it was that they were moved to places of work, far away from their hometowns. Loved ones could be separated for life.

The result of this human transfer is the growth of the Landless Society in South Africa today, where many do not own land as heritage.

Having a lengthy chat with a white college colleague friend of mine whose family moved to England due to their intolerance of the apartheid policies, much more worse fears were revealed. David said to me: “Daniel, if you desire a Black maid, you have to zip up and pray that those thoughts disappear from your mind.” “Why?” I asked. “If you slept with her, she might go and boast of it to her friends, who, out of jealousy, could report you to the authority, and both of you will be picked up. Whites and Blacks are not to fall in love.”

That the Blacks, who were in the majority, were treated as non-human creatures was what angered most of free Africa. The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) put up joint policies to make that system fail, so that our brothers and sisters in South Africa could be redeemed.

Governments, especially most from Black African nations, made it a point to sacrifice part of national budget to alleviate the sufferings of Black South Africans. Those who sneaked out of the apartheid country were welcomed like war heroes, and given better treatments than what was given to the indigenous citizens of the lands they turned up in.

They were educated freely with better curriculum than they would have enjoyed in South Africa, all at the expense of the indigenes, and an unanticipated strain on the host country's budget. Some Black African nations supported the arms struggles with arms, ammunitions and other logistics. South Africa must be free! Southern Africa must be free!

The free African nations were torn into two: some supported an armed invasion to topple the apartheid regime, while some thought that jaw-jaw was better than war-war, since violence can never be contained after the war, as history was always there as a source proof. One of the African leaders who opted for negotiations was Dr. K.A. Busia, then Prime Minister of Ghana.

In the end, negotiation won the day, and a peaceful transition from racist apartheid to constitutional democracy led to the current dispensation of a Free South Africa.

Meanwhile, most of those countries, which sacrificed funds and resources, were experiencing economic meltdowns. High unemployment and low social security made thousands of thousands of their citizens to leave their countries for greener pastures. And many eyed South Africa, for it was their funds and resources that helped to make that country a free nation, and so they needed to enjoy the fruits of their labours. After all, if their countries' funds and resources were not committed to help free the Blacks, maybe they will not be in those economic messes.

So the dream of invading South Africa finally came to pass, however, not for bloody wars, but to fight economic hardships. The refugee status took a different turn, and during the apartheid days the Blacks flooded the free African states as political refugees, and after the apartheid systems, those from the other African nations flooded South Africa as economic refugees.

The sad note developing in our eyes is that, instead of welcoming their other African siblings in the same manner as they were welcomed in the apartheid era, today's Black South Africans are rather putting to the sword, the same people who made sure they were spared from the sword of apartheid.

It is, indeed, sad news that the same people who, only yesterday, in search of political redemption, were in tears begging at our doorsteps, to be given food and shelter, and have freedom to live as humans, will, today, just out of irresponsible rage of fury, decide to slit our throats for daring to come to their rainbow country for economic redemption.

I was told that the ANC recently apologised for not informing the youth about the efforts other African countries made towards the struggle against apartheid. This is cold comfort, because if the ANC did not notify the youth, at least, families, whose members went abroad to study and resource themselves in other African countries, should be mindful of the help the free Africans gave to apartheid refugees.

South Africa must be told in no uncertain terms that if she will treat other African nationals the way she was treated during apartheid regime, the rest of Africa will consider that apartheid still thrives in that Rainbow Nation, and will shut the doors again to anything South Africa. It happened before, and it can happen again.

Withdrawing diplomatic status with that country, and recalling all our nationals back home, nationalising South Africa businesses and industries, and doing away with anything South African, will be the bloodless revenge and a clear statement that this xenophobic nonsense in the form of neo-apartheid cannot be tolerated any more.

When South African businesses like MTN, DsTV and mines among others, which thrive in Africa, will soon start returning losses, there the South Africans will appreciate other Africans. When South African Airways will now fly non-stop from USA to South Africa without landing on any other African country, then South Africans will appreciate the need for close brotherliness. After all, Gen Kutu Acheampong is no longer around to allow a South African aircraft to make emergency landing on Ghanaian soil.

All we require is love and respect from these people who were given same when it chased about with the swords and guns of the racist White South Africans and sought refuge under our wings.

Hon. Daniel Dugan