The unfortunate incidents of xenophobia that have gripped South Africa over the last couple of weeks seem to have calmed down now. Now the issue of what is the best way forward has arisen and the future is not looking any promising. The damage has been done, lives have been lost and no one can bring them back, properties and been destroyed and peoples life savings have gone up in smoke. Many people today carry physical and mental scares from these xenophobia attacks and these will be scares that they have for the rest of their lives. The question now is, “What next?” Read the rest of this entry »

The front page of yesterdays Sunday Times made for interesting reading. The headline was ‘If you go on like this, there will be no country left’. These are said to be the words contained in a letter that the leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition party, the MDC, wrote to President Thabo Mbeki. It is clear that the MDC is not happy at all with what President Mbeki has done to try ‘help’ the Zimbabwe situation and Tsvangirai seems to be placing a lot of blame on Mbeki.

Is Mbeki to blame for what is happening in Zimbabwe? Some circles would say that Mbeki has his own country to run in South Africa and thus he should not be blamed for what is happening in his neighbouring country. These same circles would also say that Zimbabwe should take care of its own mess. But then there is the other side of the coin which is what is incensing the majority of Zimbabweans and has been highlighted in this alleged letter from the MDC to President Mbeki; this side feels that Mbeki has failed dismally as being a mediator between the MDC and ruling ZANU PF party. Read the rest of this entry »