A plea to south Africans

It is saddening to witness the slaughter, destruction and beatings going on in Johannesburg and in other parts of South Africa.
The racism against Zimbabweans, Somalis and other migrants is disgusting and should be stopped immediately. It is astonishing that these rampaging mobs engaging in pogroms have conveniently forgotten the help offered to them in the dark days of apartheid. Zimbabwe hosted the ANC leaders and many were trained in Mozambique, Angola and dozens of other African countries. It is shocking to see brothers turning on the dispossessed refugees from other African countries.

Channel 4's unreported world had a programme highlighting this very issue before it exploded on a grander scale. It contained reports of Somali businesses being targeted by racists and the murder of Somalis which wasn't receiving much press attention from the authorities. Nevertheless, along with the murders of white farmers in rural areas, it seems south Africa has a long way to exorcise the ghosts of racist past.

What does it take for the south African government to take the murders of Zimbabwean and other immigrants and white farmers seriously?
It is ethnic cleansing by stealth and Mbeki must share the blame for his government's role in the appalling news coming from south Africa.
Mbeki has protected Mugabe from any sanction for his human rights abuses.
Indeed, Mbeki has kept Mugabe in power this long. The Zimbabweans fleeing to SA are seeking sanctuary in a country they helped many decades ago.
It is unAfrican for these people to treat guests in their country in this manner.
Mbeki's policies are hurting Zimbabweans in their country and now in SA.

I wil be glad when he is gone. His ineptitude on the Mugabe matter and the myriad of problems facing SA mean its time to go now.
Finally, i hope further human rights abuses don't go unchecked. SA has possibly the most progressive constitution in the world and i expect the government and the luatics killing foreigners to abide by the principles espoused in the constitution.