A scalar look at the Grahamstown Xenophobic Attacks

It's all a matter of scale. A matter of perspective, you see.

Consider.

The attacks that happened in Durban earlier this year were happening in a larger city compared to Grahamstown Their impact on the social fabric, then is felt quite differently because of this difference in size. When something happens in a small town, the impacts are multi-layered and are felt on a relatively wider scale.

Consider the #FeesMustFall movement. Even though it is happening at the University, many other companies are disturbed by the activity of the students. There are hundereds of people not going to work because of this. And hundreds is a lot over here. Then, on the same day as the nationwide march n Wednesday the 21rst, the taxi drivers of Grahamstown also felt it was time to make their voices heard. So they went on strike, too. We South Africans know the impact a taxi strike can have on local economies. The pace of life is disturbed. Routines are broken.

To add to the small town strife, yesterday, the 22^nd of October, there was a “xenophobic” attack and toyi-toyi up by Somerset Street. It was the local township community in Joza, venting their frustration and acting on what the local police have not acted on, as yet. The issue is about the serial killings that have been happening in Grahamstown and its surrounds. People's bodies have been fund, mutilated and certain body parts missing. To any knowledgeable African, one knows that missing body parts mean black magic medicine, witchdoctor ingredients. In short, muthi. Muthi murders have been known to be extremely prevalent in the Entire Est Coast of South Africa. Be it Zulu or Xhosa territory. A man from Newcastle in Kwazulu told me that it is an occurrence in Lesotho as well. Whether the muthi works or not is not what I wish to discuss here. The fact that there is a culture of organ selling and murders for the black magic medicine trade, is, though. So they gathered to vent a frustration which has been there for ages. Are the Pakistani Nationals guilty? That is not up to me to judge. The people of the townships of Grahamstown gathered, though, and the pictures are all over the popular channels , including this most Chaotic of Fronts. The violence that followed, the military helicopters, the tear gas and shotgun-fired rubber bullets are all in the presses as well.

Some of the finer details are not published or publicized as much, in this Writer's opinion. For example, this is a very small town. The attacks and march that happened on the 22^nd almost spilled over to Rhodes University, where students were already engaged in a protest of their own. The size of the town meant that police had to choose sides, as it were. They built a line to stop the crowd from marching towards the varsity, and some of the clashes that ensued were because of the intention of the crowd to advance their rage. Also, because of the police being focused on the “xenophobic” attacks on one side of town, the students had far less police attention. After taking pictures and a few videos, this Writer headed back campus to see what was happening. We heard a group singing struggle songs, marching form what seemed to be the Steve Biko building towards the Drama department. Of the exact location of the group we cannot assure. Too busy uploading the pictures, you see.

Toyi-toyis and protests like it have not really struck me as best practice. They are expressive, but not articulate. The amount of change possible through them is limited by the police and the state's response to these gatherings. Of course, some crowd behaviour pushes the men in blue to respond violently. There are hardly any innocents in these situations. Just yesterday I saw a lady with a baby on her back at the march which instigated the attacks and looting in the Somerset Street/Barthurst Street and Taxi Rank area. None of the violence went over Barthurst Street or deep into it.

These displays of dissatisfaction often do not make an impact on Policy. This is my biggest gripe and criticism. Listening to the songs that are sung, be it an EFF, ANC or SASCO gathering, they all sing songs from the 80s,70s and 60s. In a term “struggle songs.” They are often out of context and are a way to homogenize and forge the crowd. It's a way of collectivizing. The taxi drivers want better streets, the students want the fees to fall and the Joza community wants the Pakistanis out of their city. Consider the size of Grahamstown and then look at how much disturbance is truly taking place. Simply: the whole city is in crisis.

People don't feel safe. There is lots of assuring and reassuring happening in private and public messages. The community here is acting with as much solidarity as they can muster. There are Facebook pages where people are building lift clubs, sharing their couches to people with no place to sleep and being all-round helpful.

There is so much more to say on this subject, but this one must rest their injured wrist.

Soon to come:

• a discussion on what policy changes need to take place to hel people manage their own lives/resources.
• An alternative to marches/pickets/toyi-toyi
• videos of the day

Addendum:

By today (27th October) , it is generally considered that the student protest are a success. The University of Free State and a few others have said that they will not have registration fees for the upcoming academic year.  The taxi drivers still don't have better streets. The spaza shops in Grahamstown townships and their surrounds are still closed as looting is still a very real possibility. There is a lot more to this story. 

As for the rumours about serial killings and muthi murders, check out the link at Grocotts Mail Online on SAPS report. 

And to show you the scale of the disturbance on one side of the very small town...