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Well, if someone can take our national media ( newspapers, etc ) and scare another country enough to give refugee status to someone, maybe we're sitting too close to see the size or severity of the problem.
We can only wish ( dream ) that the powers-that-be get embarrassed by this international negative exposure and make some changes.
We can only wish ( dream ) that the powers-that-be get embarrassed by this international negative exposure and make some changes.
Not holding my breath.
It seems we're more intent on telling the Canadians how to go about their business.
South Africa wants a judicial review of a decision by an independent Canadian board to grant a white South African refugee status because he allegedly suffered racist attacks at home, a government minister said on Wednesday.
The decision by the Canadian immigration board to grant Brandon Huntley residence on the grounds that he was persecuted for being white was widely condemned in South Africa, where race remains a sensitive issue 15 years after apartheid ended.
"We are of the view ... that the relevant minister in Canada has the ability to do a judicial review and that this should be undertaken and the South African government will be urging the Canadian government to do so," Sue van der Merwe, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, told Parliament. full story from M&G here
"Canada's reasoning for granting Huntley a refugee status can only serve to perpetuate racism," said the ANC.
A wise and true statement but coming off a knee jerk reaction from a different angle for a different reason
The immediate reactionary claim from the anc that this is action is racist must have added huge fuel to the claim. Can you just picture the Canadian side looking at this statement and seeing the usual tin pot dictator attitude from Africa, with Huntley saying 'there you go they target us whites all the time like that, with unfounded accusations and the race card is played whenever they cannot or will not explain themselves properly'.
I think this was extremely badly handled by the ANC. What was also noticeable, was the reaction of the various reporters and news anchors on all our local channels. They all had this attacking attitude of doubt and 'how dare he do this'. Read the article on iafrica.....here to see one such reaction. It shows that this is an extremely emotive issue and instead of adopting a policy of 'quiet diplomacy', it has potential of creating a few ripples into our future.
The immediate reactionary claim from the anc that this is action is racist must have added huge fuel to the claim.
Yep - I think it is about time the ANC woke up and smelt the roses. It seems they've become too accustomed to the flavour of pompous ass righteous indignation.
Given that we're a country that has legitimised racial discrimination, it's a bit like the pot calling the kettle black. And if you consider the range of views as to what constitutes "fair" racial discrimination locally, it really shouldn't come as any surprise that people in other countries don't share the same opinion as our government.
The crux of the decision seems to revolve around this:
His evidence showed "a picture of indifference and inability or unwillingness" of the South African government to protect "white South Africans from persecution by African South Africans", said tribunal panel chair William Davis.
True or not true?
If you consider that our government repudiates that there is a problem, if such a problem does indeed exist, our government has proven the tribunal right.
A while ago I watched a series of Carte Blanche clips on youtube, because I never had M-net. Not a good idea. To see a condensed collection of all the horrors we have become conditioned to in one sitting had me radically re-evaluate immigration options.
The episode on farm murders alone is enough. It features an interview with a UN guy (Who worked to prosecute Rwandan butchers). He compiled a document listing "danger signs" for imminent genocide in sequence of seven indentifiable steps. Face it fellows, for every sweet, decent Xhosa or Zulu, there are whole packs of vicious bipedal animals baying for blood, torture, etc. urged on by currupt government ringleaders.
He (UN guy) was very clear about our South African "steps". I don't think he cares about politics after what he's seen. The episode also shows how a group of murderers were handed over to police with a signed confession only to be released. Bummer.
I spoke to a counsellor who told me 90% of South Africans are living in a state of denial. Combine that with the post traumatic stress most of us are suffering from and you have a population cowed in fear. Many of us are actually forcing our brains to ignore our instincts: Danger, run like hell!
I choose not to live in fear, but I have absolutely no doubts about the sentiments and intentions of our ruling party. Denial didn't help the Jews and it didn't help our foreigners being lit on fire either. It was nice to see Canada care, if they retract the refugee decision I will be very depressed.
A new study has revealed that Brandon Huntley, who has been granted asylum in Canada after claiming to have been attacked by blacks several times, is the new black. Or more precisely, the former Capetonian is the descendant of one Francina van der Kaap, a woman "of colour", and more than half of his relatives are similarly coloured - in the verbal sense.
This is according to social historian Patric Tariq Mellet who says he himself shares Huntley's colourful lineage.
"We are in fact a family with a proud tradition of being mixed. We are a Creole family." full story from IOL here
OK. Now we're really starting to split hairs... Anyone got a pencil?
Clearly we're a nation obsessed with race. And apparently it's contagious:
Stories like this give South Africa a nervous breakdown. Fifteen years after the end of white minority rule, race is not the issue that dare not speak its name. Instead it is shouted from the rooftops at every opportunity. Its sensitivities pervade political debate, newspaper columns and radio phone-ins. One journalist said to me last week: "There is a hyper-vigilance that's inevitable after a traumatic event."
It soon infects outsiders too. Since coming to South Africa five months ago, I've grown a third eye that perceives everything in black and white. full story from M&G here
Even when I go to check out what constitutional mischief is being discussed, the commentary is just full of racial polarisation. When I consider these are influential legal minds behind these online personas, I leave feeling physically ill at times.
And maybe I'm not the only one. As Kameraad Mhambi suggests, South Africans want to discuss race. The saying "no news is good news" applies - if it was all working out well we wouldn't be getting all this noise.
Maybe we need a new TRC. But this time let's have one that not only hauls out the truth, but actually makes some serious, workable suggestions towards reconciliation.
Because I don't know about you, but personally I feel we're heading in the wrong direction right now.
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