Zim refugees wait for asylum on Jo'burg streets

Why? This whole thing is completely out of control. Why are Zimbabweans applying for asylum when the two parties that were at loggerheads have united to form a unity government and when Tsvangirai is Prime Minister? The fact of the matter is that these people come here for jobs. The problem is that there are not enough jobs to go around even among South Africans. Ridiculous indeed. Why is everything so wrong in our country? What is the role of government in assuring the sanctity of our borders?

umm, no. i'm guessing you haven't been in zimbabwe for like, oh, the last 15 years or so.

i have relatives who live there currently, and i can assure you that just because a piece of paper has been signed, and a few people have been given offices, very little has changed from a year ago, especially in the rural areas.

now, while i personally did not suffer, really, in any way shape or form the last time i was there in september -- it was only because my cousin is married into a family that are among the culprits that are bleeding the place dry.

said culprits in zanu have gotten even *more* belligerent in the time since agreement has been signed, but almost all of the mainstream press has ignored this.

are you being intentionally obtuse? here's a little tidbit: few black africans from north of the limpopo/orange rivers actually *want* to live in south africa. most of us would rather be somewhere else but have various push/pull reasons for being here. i'm fortunate in that i can buy my way out of the xenophobia by virtue of my british and american passports, but there are other factors that keep me here. trust me, i don't want to be here. many of the people who work for me don't want to be here either.

Also.. shouldn't we say that the Mbeki government could have done more to prevent this terrible situation? At this point South Africa has some responsibility to help those refugees. But it is also unfair to expect poor South Africans to just absorb this flow of people. However, you'd have to admit: South Africans voted for Mbeki and his policies in large majoroties, so those voters carry a bit of responsibility for the situation. Those votes do count.