Many had thought that the current xenophobia attacks occurring in South Africa would not spread outside Johannesburg but that has not been the case. The attacks have now spread to Durban and Cape Town. This morning, I spoke to a security guard from Zimbabwe who was telling me there is now ‘chaos’ in the township of Du Noon which is near the suburb Milnerton in Cape Town.

Reports on News24 suggest that ‘shots were fired’ last night in Du Noon and that the atmosphere in Du Noon is getting volatile. The security guard who spoke to me said that he feared going back to his home tonight in Du Noon and had no idea where he was going to spend the evening. If he went back home he could be attacked, on the other hand if he did not go back where would he stay and who would look after his possessions? He has been in Cape Town for almost a year now working as a security guard earning R3000 a month. He saves up as much as he can to send back to his family in Zimbabwe. Here is a person earning an honest living and in turn helping South Africans by being a security guard and protecting South Africa’s assets.

It pained me speaking to this security guard today and to think there are thousands in his situation right now. What has come of South Africa? Have we forgotten what happened to us during apartheid? But now we decide to treat others the way we were treated. Let’s not think that this will not come back to haunt South Africa one day. How will the rest of the world now perceive South Africans after these attacks? We will be shunned upon. “What goes around comes around.”

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