I am pretty sure that no one at the organization I am working for really planned out what they were going to do with me when I arrived for the summer. As a result, I have been partaking in a lot of random tasks over the past couple of months. Project photographer? Why not. Report editor? You got it. Event planner/consultant? I can totally contribute. Sandwich maker/juice distributor? I'll touch the mystery meat, but only because there are hungry children involved. Angry letter writer? Pretty much my favourite. Today, I have added another job to my resume: Investigative journlist.
My task for the day is basically to wander around the office and talk to people about the xenophobic incidents they have heard of in the past couple of days and compile them into one sad, scary document. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be sad and scary, but it is definitely turning out that way. These are the incidents I have heard so far:
On July 13 in Samora Machel, a Malawian man was brutally attacked in his home. After the attackers held him down and mutilated his genitals, they continued their assault until he was killed.
Two Ghanaian men were walking towards their homes in Khayelitsha on July 13 when they found a group of people gathered outside. They attempted to run away, but were followed by a car. While the men were trying to escape, a man got out of the car and shot both men. One of the men was wounded and the other died instantly.
In Gugulethu, two Malawian men were assaulted in the streets. When they attempted to report the incident to the police in Nyanga, they were turned away by the officers, who insisted that it was necessary to see their passports in order to open a case. The necessary documentation is in their homes, which the men feel they can no longer safely return to. As a result, no action is being taken to find the perpetrators responsible for this attack.
As my journalistic skills are kind of lacking and I'm not much for background checking, epecially with limited internet, I can't comment on the accuracy of these incidents. I like to hope that this is fear-mongering as opposed to fact, but I don't really think that is the case. I am also a little bit bothered by the fact that I have visited each of the townships that the above incidents took place in, and in Samora specifically I was with a group of refugees. Maybe I should have felt more threatened than I did at the time.
The strangest thing about all of this is the fact that it would be completely possible to carry on with your life in Cape Town and not have any idea that this is happening. If you are not a refugee/aslyum seeker and you don't work with human rights or live in a township, this probably won't affect you in the least. I am very curious about the level of awareness in other populations of the city.
I apologize for the stressful/frightening nature of the last couple of messages. I am hoping to get away for the weekend along a path known as the Garden Route which goes along the south coast of South Africa. Hopefully I will get a nice break with some more fun and exciting adventures to report.
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