By Annisa Essack
10:05:2022

Columnist Ivor Vegter joined the Radio Islam International team to discuss current affairs impacting South Africa and Africa.

He addressed the rising tide of Xenophobia in South Africa after the brutal lynching of a man in Diepsloot, Johannesburg, after he was unable to produce a passport when a group went from door to door to root out undocumented foreigners.

Vegter says many issues such as Xenophobia continue to rear their head in South Africa. Firstly, there is no way to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants and South African citizens are caught up in the pogroms meted out by the vigilante mobs; individual criminals are difficult to recognise from the community groups to which they belong, and kangaroo courts, vigilante violence and mob justice are being used which violates human rights.

The politicians exploiting the Xenophobic tensions are not being held accountable but instead whip up Xenophobia which he says will leave the country burning and bleeding, and these politicians must be stopped.

Commenting on the KZN floods, he says that had the government been more prepared, the storm’s effects would have been less severe. He referred to issues like proper refuse removal and solid waste that blocks stormwater drains, dating back to 2016, and eThekweni municipality and government have done nothing to solve this. The government only allows the SAWS to make severe weather predictions, thus leaving only their forecast to go on.

Talking about the disaster relief funds, he spoke about the quick response from NGOs like Gift of the Givers compared to the 12 days it took for the army to get boots on the ground.

Water shedding was another issue that he had written about in which he predicted that water-shedding would become prevalent, and he was criticised as a naysayer. He also says that water infrastructure in South Africa is regressing, and he further predicts borehole drilling and water filter companies will be offering exceptional returns in the next decade or two.

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