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Dear Zimbabwe, it’s time for a brutal conversation about xenophobia in South Africa By Maynard Manyowa 10 Apr 2022 Maynard Manyowa is a Zimbabwean journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Manchester, England. He is married to Boipelo Manyowa, a South African journalist who has recently written against xenophobia. Maybe it is time that we, as Zimbabweans, remind ourselves that South Africa is treating us better than we ever treat(ed) immigrants. Nobody wants to, nor can they, freely state that Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa do not help their own cause. Saying this would likely be interpreted as support for violence and whip up a wave of cancellations. When Zimbabwe first achieved independence in 1980, it really was heaven on Earth. Its currency was strong and the country was self-sufficient. Malawians, Zambians and South Africans flocked to Zimbabwe to work as roadside vendors and in mines, to take advantage of the education system, as well as flee from the racist apartheid government. But Zimbabwe and its government at the time were hostile. Malawians and Zambians were called MaBwidi, a derogatory term that describes foreigners as halfwits. The government conducted raid after raid in townships, often asking people to repeat local street lingo – fully aware that Malawian folk would do so with a hilarious accent. Those who failed were bundled into trucks and deported. Those who remained were made half citizens by the government. At that time, naturalised Zimbabweans from Malawi and Zambia were not allowed to vote, and their identity documents were engraved with a huge capital “A”, designating them as “Aliens”. This practice remained up until Robert Mugabe was removed from power. But, at the same time, Mozambique was engaged in a brutal civil war and a number of Mozambicans, many of whom speak Zimbabwe’s main language, Shona, crossed into the country seeking refuge. The government rounded them up and put them in refugee camps, while several others were sent back, by force, to Mozambique, where they were executed by rebel forces. To this day, in and around the township, derogatory jokes about Malawians, Zambians and Mozambicans are exchanged at barbecues. How we, as Zimbabweans, treated other Africans at the time was wrong, and it must not escape history or dialogue. South Africa treats refugees better than any other African country Over the years, as conflict has ravaged Africa, many people have fled their homes in Congo, Somalia, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic, Burundi and other countries. Those who found their way to Zimbabwe were put in refugee camps, where they remain to this day. Countries like Malawi, Uganda and Zambia also have refugee camps for asylum seekers. Now, I mention this because, when millions of Zimbabweans rightly fled the violence in 2008, the South African government responded by giving them special permits and allowed those who didn’t apply to integrate with communities. In Malawi, as we speak, the government is calling on all refugees who left camps and integrated with communities to return to the camps or face action. Zimbabwe keeps refugees in camps, while Kenya wants to close its camps and send refugees back to conflict zones. South Africa is not driving foreigners into camps, but nobody wants to talk about this. And ignoring such gestures of goodwill upsets and offends a country that has been very hospitable to refugees, economic or otherwise. One would struggle to find a country today that allows millions of people to simply show up and integrate into communities. To that end, South Africa is a haven for refugees from all walks of life. At the same time, we cannot escape the reality that illegal immigrants commit crime in South Africa. People avoid talking about it, but the stats are there. In 2017, there were 11,842 foreigners in South African prisons, 918 for murder and 454 for rape.