So today I was sad because I have no idea where I have stuck my head for the last two weeks, but this morning was the first I heard about the racial violence in South Africa.
Strangely, last night before I found out I had this super strong sense to pray for Joseph Project in Johannesburg, and as I thought about the children there I actually started crying right in the middle of the Friday night service.
Then today I chatted online to a couple of my friends there and the violence is worse than I thought when I first heard about it. Some kids from the Joseph Project centre have had to take refuge in the local police station, more have been evacuated as Fox street (1 street behind the project and where many of the kids live) has had looting and the police moved in with rubber bullets. The staff are volunteering at the refuge centres.
The violence is mainly Zulus against other african immigrants and is concentrated in the townships. The government is responding like in apartheid days - sending in the tank-trucks to the townships. Armed mobs are on the streets and refugees are fleeing back to the countries they left - even Zimbabweans!
I'll end with a quote from Dylan at http://www.mr-boohiss.blogspot.com
My Zim friends made a humorous (I admire their resiliency), but incredibly sad comment. “We Zimbabweans, where can we run? Mugabe, violence and beatings at home. Racist South Africans beating, robbing, and killing us here. Hmm… I guess here is the best then. I would rather be beat on a full stomach than beat on and empty stomach.”
Strangely, last night before I found out I had this super strong sense to pray for Joseph Project in Johannesburg, and as I thought about the children there I actually started crying right in the middle of the Friday night service.
Then today I chatted online to a couple of my friends there and the violence is worse than I thought when I first heard about it. Some kids from the Joseph Project centre have had to take refuge in the local police station, more have been evacuated as Fox street (1 street behind the project and where many of the kids live) has had looting and the police moved in with rubber bullets. The staff are volunteering at the refuge centres.
The violence is mainly Zulus against other african immigrants and is concentrated in the townships. The government is responding like in apartheid days - sending in the tank-trucks to the townships. Armed mobs are on the streets and refugees are fleeing back to the countries they left - even Zimbabweans!
I'll end with a quote from Dylan at http://www.mr-boohiss.blogspot.com
My Zim friends made a humorous (I admire their resiliency), but incredibly sad comment. “We Zimbabweans, where can we run? Mugabe, violence and beatings at home. Racist South Africans beating, robbing, and killing us here. Hmm… I guess here is the best then. I would rather be beat on a full stomach than beat on and empty stomach.”
