Why all the hate?

The Kenyan quote on the snake and the men in my recent post highlights a theme that as Africans is central to our everyday existence, the issue of tribalism – in a recent article in the Sunday Standard newspaper a reader wrote a letter titled time to tame the Zimbabweans, well… there was a lot said but the gist is that the Botswana Defense Force commander should lead the way in this exercise. So I ask what exactly does such a letter imply?

There is a lot to explore here and I intend to, but as of now below is a letter I published in the Sunday Standard in response:

Had enough?
Have you heard the one about the white person who makes a point of saying oh but I have black friends, or the homophobic who says, but I have some gay friends?

The article in Sunday standard June 18 – 24 2006 issue sent a very cold shiver down my spine. That a person can have the guts to send such a hateful article to the Sunday standard knowing full well that it will be accessible to a large number of the population is very unbelievable, at the very least irresponsible. Further more the newspaper did not have any qualms about publishing such a letter.

I was literally amazed by what I read about Zimbabweans taking over such public places as gyms, stadiums and even bus ranks. Whenever I am in any of these places I only observe people who are going about their business, how anyone can take over these public places that can hardly be claimed ownership by any one individual due to their very nature actually boggles my mind. I wonder if the writer is a frequent user of these places, I have noticed that people who drive cars have a very weird view of the bus rank/ station from many comments I have heard them utter.

How anyone can even purport to be able to recognize who is Zimbabwean, South African, Malawian, Zambian or even Jamaican for that matter (Botswana is a very metropolitan country!!!) in such crowded situations only the writer seems to know. I can only express amazement at their amazing talentdedness. Whenever I pass through these areas I go about my business without paying much attention to whether the guy on the other treadmill is Zimbabwean, or the five out of 15 passengers with me are Mozambique’s, or that guy sitting in front of me at the game is from Malawi. Not so it seems with our writer, these matters in fact for reasons known only to them seem to be of great importance to them.

I never frequent pubs but the few – (for me anyway - unpleasant times) I have been there my experience is of overcrowded noisy places with hardly any standing room, its usually to dark to tell if a person is black, white, Indian, or in between let alone the true national identity of individuals, again the writers amazing powers and gifts are to be marveled at. I wonder how these places are taken over BY Zimbabweans, do they claim all the seats or maybe they buy all the drinks? Apparently they even have money to go to these places.

I quote the writer
“First and foremost in the mind of a typical Zimbabwean is an intense desire to dominate and take over”
“What bothers me is the general attitude and conduct of Zimbabweans in this country”

Very strong accusations stated matter of factly, and categorically, not to mention generalizing the behavior of a very large number of the Zimbabwean population in this country.

The writer having made these accusations goes on to further insult our intelligence by not even bothering to qualify, clarify, or support his statements with any supporting evidence. They are simply taking over and we must all agree with the writer and become fed up as well. I will not even raise the question of how many Zimbabweans the writer knows well enough to make such assertions, lets not forget their qualifications in uttering such statements, a PhD in psychology or human behavior perhaps, hmm and dare I ask concerning the extensive research the writer must have conducted in order to come up with such strong conclusions and assertions concerning the mind, general attitude, conduct and behavioral patterns of typical Zimbabweans in Botswana.

Our writer, who is “a Motswana citizen by birth” dare we forget, has made a very grave mistake in the form of this letter and it is my sincere hope that they realize the error of their ways and repent thoroughly. I have deliberately not stated my citizenship in this letter, whether it be by birth or by some other means or unsavory defect. I believe in the idea that irregardless of the couler of ones passport we are all human beings, none of us being perfect. We have no choice but to accept that the world is a small place and as such we are likely to find it difficult if not downright impossible not to have interactions with each other. We can only tolerate each other communicate our grievances peaceably and like the civilized people we are with a view to forging a way towards peaceful coexistence.

Respect for others in public areas indeed in all situations and circumstances is not just a Tswana custom but in fact an African custom. One that I believe all African cultures extol and instill in their members at a young and tender age it is who we are, not only that it is a respect that does not consider were a person is from or their country of origin. One that all Africans should be proud of I might add.


The snake flees from the man; the man flees from the snake,
and the path remains empty. Thus does enmity waste opportunity?
Translation of an Oromo tribe (Ethiopia / Kenya) proverb

The bitter heart devours its owner
Tswana saying

Most importantly this was a hateful letter aimed at inspiring nothing but malicious feelings towards Zimbabweans, written by a deeply disturbed individual, that level of hate found in any one individual in my view is a sign of sickness. On the other hand it may have been just an error due to the passion of the moment. The writer is totally unashamed to talk of respect in one breadth and then peddle such hate in the next. I am equally disappointed in the editor of a newspaper I happen to love and respect. As a reader I am offended to have been subjected to such hateful utterances, and have them treated with such apparent disregard of their implications so as to have found their way to this page. For the editor to have overlooked the implications of this article on the rights of another human being is unpardonable.

Am I the only person who is chilled by the call for the commander of the Botswana Defense Forces to take action against Zimbabweans, with a view to taming them? This is after all the major point of the letter as I understand it. What actions are these may I ask, I dread to imagine, I truly do. I also hope these are not the feelings of the majority of Batswana otherwise – “God help us all” is all I can say.

To the editor – i am shocked, saddened, deeply and immeasurably disappointed.