South Africa, a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah?

By Bhaudhi Mabhaudhi

We have been in South Africa for a couple of days now. Yesterday afternoon we lost our laptops and digital cameras. Some idiot came from nowhere, smashed our left rear window, grabbed our gear bag and ran like hell. We gave chase on foot leaving our rented vehicle behind, parked in the middle of Soweto’s traffic.

After 2 minutes in the chase the guy vanished into some sort of hostel behind the so-called Maponya mall. While I was busy looking for the smash and grabber my colleague rushed back to collect the car only to find my smartphone and our tomtom gone. Truly speaking we acted like idiots yesterday, I guess it was just adrenaline at work. Lucky enough they didn’t take the car though the keys were still in the ignition.

After a fruitless search for the culprit we had to leave as we could clearly see that we were not welcomed in that hostel compound. I might not understand any of the South African languages but I clearly know what “kwerekwere” means. After a little scuffle with the residents there was no need for us to stick around. I could not risk my life or get into a fist fight with angry hostel guys. Clearly we were out numbered, 2 against about a dozen guys with sticks. They were all shouting “Fustek wena go back to Nigeria, go back to Maputo, Zimbabwe or Whatever Kwere Kwere”.

I just wonder how my Zimbabwean brothers and sisters survive in this country full of hate and tribalism. They do not discriminate between Shona and Ndebele. These guys hate all Zimbos. Rape, murder and hijackings statistics here are so high. When I checked the death stats I have found out plus or minus 460 200 people die per year. That’s more than 1200 dead people per day!

As I am writing this article 4 shots just went off a block away from where we are lodging for the night. Not sure if it’s a hijacking, a hit or just Tom and Jerry playing. Tomorrow we are going to Soshanguve, a township in the east of Pretoria. We have been told that the funeral business is booming in that area. You have funeral stokvels and companies mushrooming from all townships. One lady undertaker said they have 2 funerals every day. With funerals costing from R15 000 to R150 000. You have the dead rolling in limo bentley’s.

Mandela land is a beautiful country full of riches but most of our Zim brothers and sisters are suffering. The pastures are not all that green over here. My eyes have been opened and it’s not wine and dine out here. Teachers, accountants, graduates, hair stylists are now recruited in brothels. Today we were introduced to one sister working at Summit.

Summit is a club turned into a sex brothel and strip bar. I heard these clubs are all over Joburg CBD. Diplomat is the dirtiest of them all. You have the ladies wearing mini skirts, not just mini skirts but skirts that starts and ends on the waistline. Outside these clubs you also have boys selling “Congo Dust” a powder which prolongs men’s ejaculation. They call it value for money.

In the middle of the night you also have Zim boys mugging other Zim boys. Have been told the same boys are also responsible for mugging fellow Zimbos around park station and other areas. Our family members have become prostitutes and thieves in Mzansi. When they left Zim they all had high hopes. Hopes to make a living and provide for the family back home. Some have been in South Africa for more than 10 years without going back home. They got stuck at some point and lost their ways. I don’t blame them. Only God knows what happened.

Some are in prison serving jail terms and some are at Lindela holding centre. You see in joburg foreigners play Russian roulette with the South African Police. Cops are cashing in daily on illegal immigrants. They stop people on walk ways and raid flats. All motivated by the rand. Those who have Rands are kings.

Across the block you have drug dealers selling weed, pills and cough mixtures. In the next street you have Naija boys who are human traffickers. They kidnap girls and sell their bodies for quickies. Upstairs you have guys running con operations. Scamming people on dating and classified sites. Down the street you have Zimbos selling stolen loots, smartphones, laptops, car stereos and clothes. In low density suburbs you have these executive sex clubs hosting ladies with big bums and thin waistlines. Be Brazilian, Chinese, European or South African.

5 blocks away you have guys having quickies under dark underground parking bays. Sex is a big industry here in South Africa. Libido tablets and condoms sell like hot cakes at night. They even have their local porn sites and escort agencies were you book for sex online. You have young boys and girls as old as 13-14 engage in sexual activities after school and on weekends. Early in the morning the cbd streets are filled with blood drops and urine. Blood left over from fights, muggings and taxi violence. You also have hijacked buildings.

If you think kombi drivers in Zimbabwe are troublesome then clearly you’re in the dark. Taxi drivers in S.A drive like crazy, speak sh*t and they have no respect for anyone. They drive in opposite lanes and overtake recklessly. They kill each other and they do not value life at all. Taxi violence is so bad that the police officers stay away during fights over routes. The cops only come through to collect the dead bodies. Then you have sangoma shops, lots of them. Have been told these sangomas buy and sell human body parts for rituals. They also buy used condoms full of sperms from prostitute. You might think this is not true but to be honest with you, this is really happening.

As Zimbabweans we clearly need to make a change in our country. All these guys need to come back home and start afresh. One thing we will need to embrace is the things they will inherit and bring back home. From evil acts, kids, sicknesses and a hell lot of baggage.  Let’s work hard and restore our country. Our brothers and sisters are suffering. Parents in Zim have lost kids to South Africa. Kids in zim have lost parents in South Africa. Some Zimbo’s have been buried in Soweto due to lack of repatriation funds. Some have vanished without a trace. Lets restore our home to its former glory.  Lets spread the word.