On December 29, 2023, a South African delegation started its presentation at the International Court of Justice (ICC) against the state of Israel.
The following details are important, as they provide the reader with the context, and by this action, South Africa stood before the world as its brother’s keeper.
The ICC is housed at the Peace Palace at the Hague (Netherlands).
The case against Israel was based on the Geneva Convention Against Genocide, authorised by the United Nations General Assembly in 1953.
The treaties were greeted with euphoria by the 153 countries which were represented in the hope that the atrocities committed by the Nazis in Germany would never be repeated anywhere else on earth.
By accusing Israel of genocide, a country which had some experience of atrocities committed against its ancestors in Germany, South Africa stood as a beacon of courage and leadership.
South Africa, the youngest independent country in the world (1994) proudly show- cased its rainbow nation status by the mixed delegation it sent to the Hague and by the thoroughness of the preparation which had proceeded its presentation.
The dream of Nelson Madnela and Bishop Desmond Tutu, of reconciliation and forgiveness shined as a beacon of hope for the oppressed.
US Superior Court judge Andrew Napolitano, could not but fail to acknowledge the sophistication and grasp of South Africa’s legal team.
The point to emphasize is that South Africa’s team, led by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, the distinguished international jurist professor John Duggard and the young but stylish Sarah Pudfin-Jones (34) show-cased the idea that different tribes were welcome and could function in unison in South Africa.
South Africa wore the heavy moral mantle of the prophet Elijah.
Dudula and Abahambe (They must go) movement against fellow blacks, whether illegally domiciled or not, has not only erased the shining star of liberty carried by Mandela dn Tutu, it has tarnished the very name of South Africa.
The treatment of one Nigerian business will illustrate the loss of this moral leadership. John Adebola ran a two-roomed convenience store and beauty shop in Durban, that employed 24 people.
After 20 years, he was naturalized. The South African brothers argued with him extensively. He had all the papers, and his employees loved him. The Zulu brothers cared nothing about the legality of his status.
The police watched in apparent agreement with the malefactors.
The lesson comes when these same brothers came across two beautiful German women visitors, who had overstayed visars by two years.
The Germans did raise the issue. “It is alright, Madam.” Said the obsequious brother. “You are welcome, now you are one of us.”
The brother tried to hug the German woman, who intuitively shrank from the soul-less brother.
It is on record that Nigerian General O. Obasanjo imposed a 2 Naira tax on every civil servant to pay for the liberation of South Africa.
Germany, Israel and the US were the last to come on board after the US Congress over-ruled its president in 1983.
The extreme obsequiousness by our South African brothers towards their former white tormentors has been described in detail by numerous observers. Franz Fanon called it Black Skin White Masks-the oppressor, who is black, has assumed all the characteristics of his former oppressor, the white man.
The hatred of Africans by Dudula is sickening. It is more sickening if I were to reveal to you that Dudulas do not see Ghanaians and Malawians in their own image.
If South Africa were an island, the matter could have been isolated. But South Africa is geographically integrated with the African continent.
Under previous leadership, of Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu, South Africa, South Africa was supposed to lead the rest of Africa towards one passport, one free trade area and one Afro-dinar (Afro-dollar).
These dreams have now been regressed by ten years or more.
Africa is paying the price.
Africa Mayibuye!
Dudula has scored one success. African governments pay no mind to the concerns of their constituents-they are more interested in how their representatives look at Davos and at London conferences.
Dudula has forced the South African government to look inside its own borders.
Dudula has also drawn our attention to government policies which should have been spearheaded by South Africans thirty years ago.
In unscientific but revealing investigations, Dudula found that in the five universities, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Natal-Durban, Stellenbosch, KwaZulu -Natal-the leading institutions of learning and medical research, the senior officers including provosts and Deans of Colleges are foreigners.
At the University of Cape Town, of five senior academic managers, four were foreigners, and Dudula asked whether native South Africans were even considered.
The issue here is simple. An emerging country wishes to train and advance their own, while encouraging indigenization.
Common sense demands that such programs be directed and led by natives.
Dudula has a very serious point (African English).
The same applies to Spazas, Indian shops, micro-finance world as well as the sugar plantation culture.
The example of sugar plantation culture in KwaZulu-Natal is poignant. No society should leave such a huge contributor to the economy and culture entirely in foreign hands.
Left to its own devices, a sugar plantation, is entirely self-sufficient, foreign workers are housed, fed, driven to work two hours before sun-rise till mid-day-their incomes “eaten up” by the credit store on the corner, and when old and decrepit, sent back to die in their native Malawi.
Improvements can be made, pension schemes supervised by government were introduced, usurious credit lines at the plantation store curtailed and life made bearable.
Dudula has exposed African governments obsession with showing off and cutting up at the United Nations than in paying a mind to land reform and livelihoods of natives back home.
*Ken Mufuka is a Zimbabwean patriot.