Divide and rule is a failed, short-term and cruel policy used by governments and businesses the world over. In the early 1970s, it was applied by whites to break the Indian strike when Diagonal Street in central Johannesburg, a then Indian commercial precinct, was declared a white business area.

Blacks from townships were hired as scabs. Human beings brazenly turned into weapons of mass destruction, a conscious decision we all make to either build up or break down others.

Fast-forward to 2021, this inhumane control mechanism is still used to pit local blacks and foreign blacks.

Truckers’ protracted plight, as a classic example, cannot be wished away. Like a flickering fire, it keeps on resurfacing. Sadly, the government and captains of industry turn a deaf ear and give it a bad name, xenophobia.

The UK recently sent 14 Zimbabweans back home. Why? Comfortable and beautiful spaces don’t fall like manna from heaven. It takes toil, sweat and even blood before enjoying them. We need to have a sober and humble assessment of ourselves as people tasked with responsibilities for our geographical areas.

Of course, bearing in mind that crises caused by humans, barring acts of providence, can be prevented and/or eliminated. Let’s refurbish our own dilapidated backyards. Sooner the world will be a better place to live for us all. It all begins with making a concerted effort to build the SADC region!

Thami Zwane, Edenvale, Ekurhuleni