We are aware of the fact that many million Zimbabweans have fled their homeland – away from Mugabe’s rule - away from the rule that would see them into abject poverty, a slow death due to starvation and a life without even the normal niceties like a job, running water, fuel to run motor vehicles and a health system.

I am one of that number - now residing 6000 miles away from the country I call ‘home’.

And many of these people had not the money to make the move to another country legally. And the neighbouring countries to Zimbabwe have seen a marked upturn in their numbers.

Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique - and South Africa - easily the most progressive country of the four - no, five if you count Zimbabwe itself - and easily the most tempting for anyone wishing to escape the clutches of Mugabe, ZANU PF and his eternal internal oppression.

We are, I would hope, by now at least, aware and au fait with the numerous video news articles of Zimbabweans jumping the border from Zimbabwe to South Africa - the films of families scaling fences and taking their chances with the crocodiles in the Limpopo River.

A quick death at the mercy of a crocodile is easily more attractive than a forced, prolonged stay in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.

And so they made entry – the huge and vast majority - doing so legally. They quickly found their way to the various built up towns and townships in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town.

Some of them found work - illegally - but stuck their noses to the grindstone and eked out a living. Dodging the incessant raids by the ever-vigilant South African Police, many of these people have been caught at least once, and returned - forcibly - to Zimbabwe, where, at the first opportunity, they returned by cover of darkness to South Africa.

Such is the threat and brutality of the Mugabe regime.

But local South Africans feel aggrieved that Zimbabweans - be they legal or not - have taken their jobs, their houses and occupy a place on the map that is theirs. And their feelings have obviously been spurred on and encouraged by agents of Mugabe’s secret police.

For reference, look at the close bon amee between Mbeki and Mugabe and therein is the very root of the problem.

So the South Africans, fired up by the need to prove their country their own, egged on by Mugabe’s undercover personnel, rose up against the foreigners in their townships. Not just Zimbabweans - it would be obvious if the only people attacked were of one country - but any foreigner around, has been beaten, shot, robbed, raped - you name it - and, sadly, so far the violence has claimed 22 lives.

The old apartheid crimes are being repeated. Necklacing has risen again. And scenes reminiscent of the apartheid period have been re-enacted. Running battles with the South African police in the townships, smoke rising as a signature to the violence, the yells of the hurt and scared… the bodies of the dead, their hands reaching out in a final desperate plea for life.

African neighbour turned upon African neighbour.

And the politicians say nothing… do nothing. Did we really expect anything else?

Southern Africa rewound itself some fifteen to twenty years in the last week. Violence has returned to South Africa, following on from the violence in Zimbabwe.

Proof perhaps, that “birds of a feather…”

The Bearded Man