By Fr.
Zweli Mlotshwa OMI, South Africa
Fr. Zweli OMI reflects on recent
January 2015 tragic loss of lives and looting of shops owned by foreigners in
Soweto, South Africa.
Fr. Zweli is currently working in the Archdiocese of
Johannesburg, South Africa.
The revolution devours its children, in many a society the
children are the direct victims of social upheaval and dis-functionality. In 1976 Soweto children in South Africa went
on the rampage to protest about the government system of poor education for
Black children; police responded by shooting live ammunition; the youngest and first
victim of the protest was one Hector Peterson, he was only 13 years old.
In the 1980s the social and political scenario was on fire;
children once again were devoured by the chaos. One child Stomie Moekesti
became a symbol of the devoured children. The police detained him when he was
only 12 years old. He became a member of the infamous Mandela United Football
club, but he did not play soccer. Instead the group was known more as the bodyguard
of Mrs. Nelson Mandela. It is this same group that is alleged to have killed
him because he was accused of and suspected to be a police informant. His little dead body was found in the open
field where rubbish is dumped, he was only 4 years.
Incidence of stigma
and discrimination towards people with HIV/AIDS has decreased in South Africa,
but this was not always the case. Nkosi Johnson is I think a symbol of children
and people who suffered discrimination. He was born with HIV 1989 when he came
to the public eye around 1997, he became known as the longest surviving child
born with HIV.
"Care for us and accept
us — we are all human beings. We are normal. We have hands. We have feet.
We can walk, we can talk, we have needs just like everyone else — don't be
afraid of us — we are all the same!"
These are the words he said responding to the stigma faced by those
affected by the disease. He died in 2001, he was only 12 years old.
The 22nd of January 2015 will be the day when most
people of Soweto will remember with shame. It was reported in the news that an
informal shop owner shot and killed a 14-year-old boy who together with his
friends attempted to rob him. The shop owner case is under police
investigation.
The death of
the child sparked a ripple effect series of violence and looting. People and especially
young people responded by looting and harassing shops and informal mini marts owned by foreign nationals especially
who have become the leading owners of shops in most South African townships.
The whole of Soweto stood on edge as people watched children going wild looting
shops and causing general mayhem.
South Africa Law enforcement are reported to have said that
some people have arrested in connection with looting of foreign-owned shops in
Soweto, among are Children who will appear in court. People arrested are
accused of public violence and custody of stolen property after looting incidents
in Soweto.
Catholic Bishops in South Africa have condemned the looting,
burning of shops in Soweto and call on the people involved not to allow
themselves to be incited to such destruction.
Below is the Bishops statement about Soweto:
Southern African
Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC)
"The Roman
Catholic Bishops meeting in Pretoria condemns the looting, burning of shops and
businesses in Soweto and call on the people involved not to allow themselves to
be incited to such destruction.
To those who encourage
and benefit from such looting we say that you are not only destroying buildings
but the moral life of young people and the very name of our country. It is
tragic that people have lost their lives and we extend our prayers to their
families. To our brothers and sisters whose businesses and livelihoods have
been destroyed we reach out to you in sincere sympathy. What has happened to
you deeply disturbs us and we call on all Catholic and Christian communities
and leaders to offer you all the practical help which they can muster.
We call on all parents
in a special way to step in and offer guidance to their children and to all
young people involved. We call upon all our faithful to offer full support,
co-operation and information necessary to the police and community leaders in
their defence of those who have been victimised. We assure the victims of our
prayers. We want to say that this behaviour is not typical or acceptable by the
majority of the Southern African people."
Issued at Pretoria, St. John Vianney
Seminary, 23rd January 2015
This reflection is not a debate of foreign nationals in the
country but a lamentation of the suffering of children during social upheaval.
It is important that South Africans take a step back and ask themselves, the root
causes which is driving these children to act in this manner.
These children are a symbol of how in a
dysfunctional society children become the not just the collateral damage but
actually become the target itself. There are children who are forced to be
soldiers, carrying guns bigger than their growing shoulders, strapping bombs in
their little bodies and fighting systems much bigger than them. These children
continue to shame us the adults because they reveal how we continue to fail as
a society, how we fail not only to protect them but actually send them to solve
our adult problems.
