A Desperate Plea for South Africa
7/15/2021 at 11:13 PM
Dear Brandonites,
My family and I are formerly from South Africa having moved to Canada over 3 years ago. We wish to bring to your attention a dire humanitarian crises about to unfold in South Africa.
Over the past few days we have looked on in shock and horror at what has happened to our country of birth. What started out as a protest against the lawful jailing of South Africa’s former president Jacob Zuma, quickly devolved into severe and extreme acts of rioting, looting, arson and destruction. Thousands of businesses have been gutted and destroyed, over 200 malls attacked with many burned down entirely. There is fear, mayhem, chaos and violence on the streets. In the residentials suburbs where myself and my wife grew up, our family members and friends have had to take to the streets, to patrol and defend their households and loved ones from the mass mobs who have been threatening to attack and loot their homes. This is because the police force is overwhelmed and spread thin across the 2 provinces hit by these crimes. These families are outnumbered and outgunned and yet are putting up a brave front. Among them are doctors, teachers and other ordinary people in the community. They are our fathers, uncles, sons and nephews who are entirely untrained for combat.
During our calls to our loved ones we hear constant gunshots ring out in the background. The South African government in its initial and delayed response on Monday sent a mere 2500 troops to protect and defend a population of around 10 million collectively in the provinces of Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng. This did little to nothing to quell the ongoing looting, destruction and violence. As the buildings burn, ambulances and fire trucks are nowhere to be found, fearing further attacks on their vehicles and personnel.
Yesterday, after much convincing the South African government finally agreed to increase the number of troops to 25000 but while the citizens await this much needed deployment, another few sleepless nights of terror must be endured.
Even if the violence subsides in the next few days, so much damage has already been done. Most stores are destroyed and of the ones that remain open, their supplies have all but run dry. Yet, citizens who are the victims of this unrest, have been lined up at these stores in the thousands, desperately standing outside for 4 hours to 8 hours in the hope they can buy the few essential items that are left. Many are eventually turned away as these stores limit sales to ensure panic buying does not set in. Families are left with a dwindling supply of food and resources. Mothers making desperate pleas on social media for baby formula and diapers. Similarly fuel stations have enforced limitations on quantities that can be purchased and cars line up for hours to fill a ration of 10 to 20 litres.
Transportation of goods has come to a standstill due to delivery routes currently blocked and truck owners fearful of damage to their vehicles on the roads. Many trucks have already been looted and burnt in the last 3 days. I read a report yesterday of a dairy farmer disposing of 28000 litres of milk as no freight company would deliver it and no depots can receive it. Estimated losses in the 2 affected provinces amount to around 2.5 Billion CAD. Think about that for a moment, 2.5 BILLION CAD lost in about 3 days. That’s without considering the future economic ramifications faced by people who have just lost their jobs. Not even schools were spared with 32 vandalized and 1 burnt completely.
All this while my wife and I look on helplessly knowing there is little we or anyone else can do for our loved ones to ensure their safety or put food on their table. We are up at night praying our brothers cousins and friends make it through their night patrols. They are utterly exhausted, getting only a few hours sleep and still trying to even hold onto their day jobs. A 3rd COVID wave began in South Africa 4 weeks ago and vaccinations have now ground to a halt in the 2 affected provinces.
Yet as terrible as the situation there is at the moment, international media coverage of the events has been little to none. The apocalyptic scale of what has happened is yet to be fully captured. South Africans have asked us to bring their plight to an international audience in the hope that their present struggle goes viral and with the world watching, The South African government will be pressured to act swiftly to restore order and provide aid. The following videos sum up the story. Please watch, share and make this known. Please keep South Africa in your prayers.
https://www.facebook.com/KierranAllenPhotography/videos/3034728960094194/
One of the first NGOs that have mobilized efforts to get some food to the affected areas is The Gift of Givers (
https://giftofthegivers.org/). I humbly ask anyone wanting to do more to please go to the Organization's website and make a donation, no matter how small. A few dollars would make an immense difference right now. I will update this post once I am aware of more NGOs in the process of getting food to the affected areas.