SA desperately needs a moral compass - Luhabe

The following is the full text of Luhabe's statement, issued yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, 27 May 2008:

South Africans condemn in the strongest terms possible the recurring violent and inhuman attacks on foreign nationals who have been part of our communities for many years without such criminal activity and bigotry. These developments have deeply undermined our moral standing on human rights. Any violent attack by one human being on another constitutes a crisis, is abominable and deserves to be treated with zero tolerance. Any loss of an innocent life is an insult to God. This is a crisis, it is an assault on the gains of our democracy and peace loving reputation over the past 14 years. We are increasingly becoming a society that is defined by lawlessness and violation of authority which ranges from the growing levels of disrespect for human life to the violent images that have become part of our landscape. Our country desperately needs a moral compass.

Our humanity is constantly assassinated as we witness the Pedagogy of the oppressed find full expression in a world of growing disparities. These eruptions do not represent who we are as South Africans, we refuse to be defined by these images and incidents. South Africans are tolerant, welcoming and accommodating, peace loving beings who are extremely shaken and traumatized by what is happening. The response to this inhumanity and crisis by ordinary South Africans has been overwhelming with supplies of food, portable toilets, toiletries, blankets, warm clothes etc. etc. Regrettably, none of these images have made front page.

We honour these South Africans with deep respect, South Africans have come out in large numbers, the various relief efforts have been invaluable, the various organisations, churches and police stations that have served as co-ordination centres and places of shelter. They represent the pure essence and soul of our nation which is what makes us proud South Africans and what continues to inspire the world. We will survive the crisis, we will come out of it with a much deeper and compassionate unity and qualities that the world desperately needs, deep compassion, tolerance, forgiveness and unity. As we did prior to 1994, we are given the honour again to transform on behalf of the human race incidents of extreme human violation which were part of our political history in the 70's [sic] and 80's [sic] towards achieving levels of consciousness of ONENESS because we are ONE expressing in many dimensions. There are enough resources in our country to provide for everyone, South Africans and foreigners. We need to plan better, we need to accelerate our promise to improve the quality of life for all, we need to root out corruption from Home Affairs which has enabled foreigners to have access to South African ID documents.