Ok, this has got to stop!
đ« Xenophobia in South Africa
The story: Xenophobic attacks have resurfaced in South Africa.Â
So what exactly is going on?... It all started on Sunday, September 1 when South African truck drivers started a protest against the employment of foreign drivers. But things escalated rather quickly as riots broke out. Vehicles and shops, mostly owned by foreigners, were destroyed and it eventually turned into a full-fledged bloodbath with at least 10 people reportedly killed by Thursday.
Wait, what are these South Africans are so angry about?... There are two major theories:
Unemployment⊠At 29%, the number of South Africans without work is at an all-time high, and theyâre blaming foreigners for it. Â
Drugs and crimes⊠Some South Africans also accuse foreigners of pushing illegal drugs. Apparently, 61% of them think immigrants are more responsible for crime in the country than other groups, causing them to take matters into their own hands.
And how are Nigerians reacting to these attacks?... Nigerians for one have not taken it sitting down, despite the government disputing claims that Nigerians were killed. Theyâve gone as far as protesting and attackingâ South African-owned companies across the nation, causing many of them to shut down -- including the South African embassy in Nigeria.Â
Celebs like Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage and Basket Mouth went the extra mile to boycott their planned events in South Africa.
What about other African countries? ⊠Well, to mention but a few: the republic of Zambia called off a friendly match with South Africa; Air Tanzania suspended flights to Johannesburg; Students in the Zambian forced several South African-owned shopping malls to shut down; Even the African Union (AU) called the acts âdespicable.â
What's the government doing?... President Buhari summoned South Africa's high commissioner and sent a special envoy to SA to deliver a message President Cyril Ramophosa. The govt also pulled out of the World Economic Forum on Africa that took place in Cape Town.
And the South African government?... SA President Cyril Ramphosa also expressed his displeasure over the attacks in a televised address to the nation.
Why this matters⊠These attacks are not new. SA has an ugly history of xenophobic violence, especially against other Africans, that can be traced back to 1994 (See the stats). And an alleged 127 Nigerians had been killed in South Africa in the last three years -- 10 between January and June this year alone.
In other newsâŠ
â°ïž Robert Mugabe is deadâŠÂ Five months after being hospitalized in Singapore, the Zimbabwe ex-president has passed on at the age of 95. Mugabe was quite famous as the âstrongmanâ who spent three decades in power before being deposed in a military coup in November 2017. You can read about his life in this obituary by BBC.
đ„ Amazon on fireâŠÂ Thousands of fires broke out in Brazil, many of them in the Amazon which is basically the worldâs biggest rainforest. The fires have got the world leaders on their toes as reports say it is âpumping alarming quantities of carbon into the worldâs atmosphere.â Hereâs everything you need to know.
đ Kevin Hart... Comedian and Hollywood actor Kevin Hart was involved in an awful car accident on Sunday which left him with a fractured spine. The 40-year-old Jumanji actor has undergone back surgery and is now recovering.
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