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Colin

Foreigner in xenophobic Cape Town (South Africa, 2010)

Colin is a Zimbabwean refugee living in South Africa. He wrote down his story for me, where he tells how he had to flee from his country, a dangerous journey for a refugee, only to set foot in an even more dangerous South Africa, where he had to endure the xenophobia that locals cherished towards foreigners. He said he'd rather be killed by a bullet in South Africa, then to die of hunger in Zimbabwe. During the last World Cup in 2010 he tried to earn some money painting tourists' faces. He was often cast away by the police though, because he didn't own a permit. 

"Many refugees like me are asking each other the question that is there going to be life after the World Cup? The natives don't really like us; they only stopped the killing because of this event. The refugees do not forget about the xenophobia that happened in 2008, when about 41 refugees were killed, mostly Zimbabweans. The natives today, they are promising to kill the refugees after the World Cup 2010."

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