South Africa Dangerously Divided ... Again

In the early 1990s, South Africa inspired the world by showing that it could peacefully end one of the worst systems of racism the world had ever seen, apartheid. It all culminated with the release of Nelson Mandela and his eventual election as president.

It seemed like a new day for the country and everyone was conscious of its cause. But fast forward to the present, and there is still much left to be desired in the nation. South Africa, in less than 20 years, time has gone from beacon of international hope to a, once again, dangerously divided nation. ...

South Africa Violence

Somali nationals demonstrate outside Parliament in Cape Town against recent xenophobic attacks and call for the United Nations High Commission on Refugees to take over the running of relief centres June 2, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings (SOUTH AFRICA)

More than 60 people have been killed and nearly 100,000 foreigners forced from their homes in a wave of attacks by South Africans who accuse them of taking jobs and blame them for crime.

Foreigners from Somalia and other African country's protest outside the South African Parliament against xenophobic attack's in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, June 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

More then 60 people have been killed during violent xenophobic clashes throughout South Africa during the last month. The worst of the violence was concentrated in and around Johannesburg, the country's economic capital and where foreigners have become targets of complaints by locals about high unemployment and crime levels.

Foreigners from Somalia and other African country's protest outside the South African Parliament against xenophobic attacks in the city of Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, June 2, 2008. More than 60 people have been killed and nearly 100,000 foreigners forced from their homes in a wave of attacks by South Africans who accuse them of taking jobs and blame them for crime. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

While thousands of the immigrants have fled back to their homelands such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique, many others have been taking shelter in police stations and community centres -- often having to sleep head to toe and with an acute lack of toilet facilities..

Somali nationals confront police during a demonstration outside the Parliament in Cape Town against recent xenophobic attacks, June 2, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

Something ironic is happening to the people there. Although they went through centuries of occupation and both institutionalized and overt racism, there is a horrid rash of lethal attacks on African immigrants from other countries. Over the past month at least 60 people were killed in xenophobic attacks.

This time it isn't Afrikaaners subjugating people that have been held in poverty all their lives. No, not nearly. It is black people seeing other blacks coming into their townships from other countries, feeling threatened and acting violently.

Many of the immigrants come from neighboring Zimbabwe, with inflation at more than 355,000 percent (no, that is not a typo), the world's poorest nation. The influx is seen by poor South Africans as a direct challenge and competition in a job market, where work is already scarce.

Much of what is going on is of socio-economic origin. South Africa, although it has very wealthy pockets, still remains on the lower rungs of the world's wealth ladder, according to published reports. With a 2007 population of 44 million, unemployment was more than 25 percent, and gross domestic product growth was only 5 percent.

Some would argue that these are the growing pains of a nation that must feel its way into prosperity and I would agree at least in part. Mandela's dream was of a South Africa where once bondaged people can rise to be their best.

But increased economic viability is the key to allowing the nation's poorest leave the poverty they have been mired in, hence eliminating the need for them to worry about foreigners coming in to compete for the few scraps that are available.