The problems in our country may one day force South Africans to seek refuge elsewhere
24 January 2022 - 16:10
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Radio 702 host Aubrey Masango recently spent nearly 25 minutes of his open-line show arguing with callers and trying to defend the position of xenophobes, trying to justify why black South Africans were entitled to “enjoy their democracy” uninterrupted. He said xenophobia should be understood in context, and black people who claim a right to employment over foreigners were not xenophobic but simply defended their right to employment.
Such arguments are wrong and unnecessary. For instance, the US has long been a land of promise, and honey, for foreigners. Those who have relocated there over centuries brought skills and innovation, and today America is a powerhouse partly because of the contribution they made. Foreign nationals do bring skills and should not be seen as a problem. We should be welcoming and make them feel at home.
We ought to live and let live. Many foreign nationals who live among us came here because of bad governance, political persecution and poor management of resources back home. People should bear in mind that we too may some day become foreigners in other countries because of the problems SA faces.
Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela Via email
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: We should welcome foreign nationals
The problems in our country may one day force South Africans to seek refuge elsewhere
Radio 702 host Aubrey Masango recently spent nearly 25 minutes of his open-line show arguing with callers and trying to defend the position of xenophobes, trying to justify why black South Africans were entitled to “enjoy their democracy” uninterrupted. He said xenophobia should be understood in context, and black people who claim a right to employment over foreigners were not xenophobic but simply defended their right to employment.
Such arguments are wrong and unnecessary. For instance, the US has long been a land of promise, and honey, for foreigners. Those who have relocated there over centuries brought skills and innovation, and today America is a powerhouse partly because of the contribution they made. Foreign nationals do bring skills and should not be seen as a problem. We should be welcoming and make them feel at home.
We ought to live and let live. Many foreign nationals who live among us came here because of bad governance, political persecution and poor management of resources back home. People should bear in mind that we too may some day become foreigners in other countries because of the problems SA faces.
Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela
Via email
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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