On The Rights Of Whites

ALLOW me to comment on the diplomatic row that the South African government has created in condemning the recent ruling by a Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board that has granted refugee status to a white South African on basis of racial persecution, which should as well be a lesson for Namibia.

Sadly, Canada has now succumbed to the South African pressure by trying to reverse the ruling in a Federal Court, which will send the wrong message to all those, mainly whites, who find themselves trapped under the ‘Zimbabwe’ type of government.Today, Namibian experiences with South Africans has been the same where whites have become the punching bag of insults, intimidation, discrimination and threats by so-called liberation heroes – as seen in both countries.Thus, the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board must be commended for granting refugee status to a man who fears for his life on racial grounds.Certainly, on the same grounds a black person would have secured refugee status, in any democratic state, during the Apartheid era.With this political embarrassment, the ANC-led government will not acknowledge the fears that white South Africans experience because of their skin colour. Denial becomes the only solution by a government caught off-guard.And calls to overturn the ruling will be the worst form of injustice against a helpless person.Interestingly, some feared white threats are at times encouraged or tolerated by the very political leaders in South Africa that are crying foul to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board decision. For example, during the ANC political campaign for the party leadership, one could not help but listen to all those liberation songs that call for the killing of white South Africans, in addition to political hate speech by some ANC leaders.As for Namibia, many threats have been made against white Namibians by politicians, acts which at no point were condemned by the Namibian leadership.Needless to say, times have changed and so should ‘stupid’ toyi-toyi liberation songs that threaten white lives come to an end in Namibia and South Africa.With such irresponsible statements which incite hatred and threaten people’s lives, any normal family would be scared – black or white.Surely, all human beings, black or white, have rights in the pursuance of peace, justice, freedom and happiness. And if they cannot find those cherished ideals in some countries, then they have the whole world to go to – as no one should be held in bondage.Other than trying to make an issue of one man, the South African government must start cleaning its backyard before crying foul, and so should countries like Namibia take this as a learning experience – if future embarrassments are to be avoided.Mulife MuchaliCanada