deejaystavooh @stevodemdj - Twitter Profile

29 days ago

Yesterday, in one of my posts, I spoke about the need for President Cyril Ramaphosa to convene a meeting of SADC leaders, and eventually African leaders, to discuss the issue of immigration, which, as we have seen, has taken a very ugly turn. This video broke my heart as an African. Seeing South Africans being chased out of a restaurant in Mozambique by Mozambicans because of what happened on 30 June in South Africa is deeply disturbing. These are ordinary citizens, not political leaders. When citizens begin retaliating against one another across borders, it is a sign that leadership has failed. Leaders should never respond to problems emotionally. They should respond with wisdom, reason and foresight. That is why I once again appeal to President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the current Chairperson of SADC, to urgently engage the leaders of the region on this crisis. We have reached a dangerous point where citizens are now expelling one another from restaurants, businesses and communities simply because of their nationality. That should alarm every African leader. I do not believe that if Kenneth Kaunda, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Samora Machel, Joshua Nkomo, Sir Seretse Khama, Quett Masire, Sam Nujoma or Julius Nyerere were leading the region today, we would be witnessing scenes like these. Those leaders confronted challenges far greater than the ones we face today, yet they understood that African unity was not just a slogan but a responsibility built on good governance. What we are witnessing today is not an immigration crisis alone. It is a crisis of governance, leadership and political courage. I therefore appeal once again to President Cyril Ramaphosa to convene a SADC summit dedicated to immigration, its root causes and practical regional solutions. Immigration cannot be solved by mobs, vigilantes or retaliation. It requires coordinated policies, honest conversations and political leadership. I also know that many of the liberation movements governing countries such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Angola and Tanzania have long-standing historical relationships and often protect one another. But history also gave us leaders such as Julius Nyerere, who understood that true friendship sometimes requires telling your friends uncomfortable truths. He could call a spade a spade without destroying relationships because his priority was always the wellbeing of the region. This video pained me profoundly. To see Africans being chased out of a restaurant simply because of the passport they carry is heartbreaking. Nationality should never become a reason to deny another African dignity, safety or a meal. I am nobody in comparison to our Heads of State, but I know many of them read my posts, directly or through their advisers. My appeal, particularly to President Cyril Ramaphosa, is simple; please act before this situation spirals further out of control. It is a terrible day for Africa when your nationality becomes a liability, when you cannot walk into a restaurant, sit down and have a meal simply because of the country you come from. That is not the Africa our liberation heroes fought for, and it is not the Africa we should leave to future generations.