By Niyi Babade
South Africa’s troubles and struggles started with the Great Trek (1835-1846) where over 12,000 Boer settlers migrated from the British-controlled cape colony into the Southern Africa interior to establish Boer republic,which shifted regional demographics and set the stage for unending conflict between the British, the Boers ,the African Kingdoms and the Zulus. The end result was the apartheid that ravaged the region for decades.
Steve Biko ( 1946-1977)
The pivotal anti-apartheid activist in South Africa felt so disappointed at the energy the black in South Africa were dissipating in supporting the white South African racists and extremist to betray,oppress, maim and kill their fellow black brothers in the region, he made them realize that they should only trust and believe in themselves only and not in their apartheid masters who never liked them but was just using them as a pun in their game of chess.
He said unto them “Black man you are on your own” the statement became a reference point because several of them changed their mindset that period and started supporting themselves the blacks, the statement was one of the driving mechanisms that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa.”
When the country was expected to be at peace to enjoy the end of several traumatic years of apartheid, another trouble enmeshed and engulfed the country,Xenophobia reared its ugly head again, this time it was blacks killing blacks. Several lives and properties were lost then.
The recent violent protests, attacks, Kidnappings zand the senseless killings of blacks ravaging some parts of the nation has recorded several deaths as the protesters goes from house to house and shops to shops to kill innocent black shop owners.
“3 Somalia national were killed at a McDonald restaurant and the protesters named the killing “Turf war” Sam Nkosini a photo journalist told our correspondent.
The situation is becoming worrisome. This should be of great concern, to both state and non-state actors, especially regional heads to intervene,rise swiftly to the occasion and prevent further bloodshed in the region , since it looks like the perpetrators and their supporters have no sense of history at all.