Some things are just African

Take the current xenophobic actions in Alexandra township (among others). Daily the presenter on 702 (LIU) ask, "Why is this happening?", "Is there a 3rd force involved?", "Why now all of a sudden?".
Why now is easy - it's been building up for some time, and everything that "starts" has to have a starting point - DUH!
3rd Force? This sounds like apartheid era propaganda - when it was claimed that the police were using Zulu warriors to intimidate ANC cadres / supporters. No one thought that maybe it was just the Zulu's doing what they do best?

Why it's happening is a difficult call, but I have some opinion in this regard.
From a 20th Century point of view - there "Illegal Aliens" are taking up jobs that the locals could be doing. A lot of them are involved in crime, even against the local African population.
It is estimated that if only one third of the current Zimbabwean illegal population to be found in SA should return to Zimbabwe, and their jobs be filled with locals, the unemployment rate could drop from 24% to 19%! It is estimated also, that the repatriation of same could reduce crime by upto 30%! Enough reason, I should think, for the current status

From a pre 20th century perspective, however, I have some other views. traditionally the African comes from a tribe. Tribal mentality is such that it does not allow for the questioning of leaders. It also has embedded in it the superiority of the male species over the female / child. And there was always the tribal wars, the standard practice of raiding the neighbors who had what you didn't, and the protection of tribal land. translate this into todays status. The Zimbabweans have for years suffered under Mugabe's regime. However, until recently, they "seemingly" voted him in. Why?

Because a democratic choice of leader is not a natural event for them. Leaders were chosen in battle, or by succession - chief / his son / his son.... etc. But because the "Natural leader / chief" position ceased to exist many years ago under colonial rule, this position was filled by he who was seen to have been the victor in battle. Bob. After that, he was kept in power, because tradition does not allow for his expulsion, other than by natural death, or by a one on one challenge, and defeat in battle!!!!!

Why are the Zimbabweans coming here then, instead of living within their "tribal elected" conditions? Well, as always, there are those who would defect / run away, when conditions within the tribe became unbearable. Thats how sub tribes evolved. Thats how the world developed multiple tribes! Thats why we have North Sotho, and South Sotho people - a tribe divided by some or other event in history.

Why would the local population be so aggressive toward the aliens? It's for self preservation / protection of what could be considered "tribal land". Their actions can be linked directly back to the actions which would have taken place in the days of Shaka and Dingaan!! Had the Xhosa tribe split 400 years ago, and some of them moved into what is now Zululand, they would have suffered the full wrath of the Zulu Impi, with maybe only some women being spared!

I don't by any means condone the current events, but only wish to show that what is considered unnatural / brutal / barbaric by some of us, can be explained away if we stand back and consider the ancestral, historical background to the modern day Africa.

Just because they have been taught to read and write, debate, and even run countries, does not mean that the masses are all in this space, and that they will conduct themselves in the manner which the so called civilized western world expects them to. They are currently in the same space that the western world was in 400 years ago. Think about it!

More to follow, I think.

Salagatle!