IS it by coincidence or by design that all the time, prior to elections in Zimbabwe, we have xenophobic attacks in South Africa, mainly targeting Zimbabweans?
In 2008, more than 60 people were killed in a series of attacks on foreign nationals in SA.
The SA Government has routinely said that violence against foreigners was a result of criminality and not xenophobia. 
In July 2012, there were new attacks in parts of Cape Town and in Botshabelo in the Free State.
The African Centre for Migration and Society at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg said foreign-run businesses suffered from disproportionate levels of crime, including attacks by competing SA businesses. 
And last week, residents of Mamelodi and Atteridgeville took to the streets to protest against the presence of undocumented Zimbabweans, Nigerians and Pakistanis.
Flashback, at the height of industrialisation in SA, many men from Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe flocked to SA to work on farms and mines.
Historically, these men laid the foundation of the Rainbow nation, led by the Boers.
As is the nature with immigrants, they got married to, or had children with, SA women just as is happening today.
Now the black brothers see their blood brothers from the region as enemies to be burnt like plastic paper.
South Africa should make rituals to cleanse the nation of the negative energy staining its image.
What we see happening in SA is unacceptable and one wonders whether these attackers ever get jailed.

Richard Chauke
Chikomba