A Zimbabwean journalist living in South Africa has thrown his support behind Bafana Bafana for Thursday night's World Cup opener against Mexico — and he's not backing down despite a social media storm urging Africans to root against the host nation.
Hopewell Chin'ono, a veteran journalist and activist, said he can't support Mexico simply because a small group of South Africans have made offensive remarks about foreigners. His comments come as many Africans online vow to support any team playing against South Africa, angered by recent protests and campaigns targeting undocumented migrants.
Over the past few weeks, tensions have flared across the continent. Some activist groups in South Africa have called for undocumented foreigners to leave by 30 June. Isolated attacks on foreign nationals have also been reported, fueling outrage on social media. As a result, some Africans declared they'd back Mexico as a protest against anti-foreigner rhetoric.
But Chin'ono sees things differently. In a lengthy social media post, he explained that South Africa has given him refuge during tough times and provided opportunities to millions of Africans seeking safety and a better life.
"South Africa is also my home. It has given me sanctuary and has given millions of other Africans a place to live, work, and rebuild their lives," he wrote.
He also noted that despite receiving insults online, he's never personally experienced victimisation from South Africans. He argued it wouldn't be fair to judge an entire country based on the actions of a minority.
"I can't support Mexico simply because a small minority of South Africans have insulted me or made offensive remarks about Africans. That would be neither logical nor fair," he said.
Chin'ono pointed out that millions of Africans continue to live, work, study, and raise families in South Africa — proof, he says, that most South Africans are welcoming and decent. He warned against letting extremists define a whole nation.
"No country is perfect. Every society has its extremists, its bigots, and its troublemakers. The mistake is to allow those people to define an entire nation," he wrote.
He acknowledged that everyone has the right to support any team they choose. But he questioned the logic of backing Mexico purely because of anti-foreigner remarks by some South Africans. Supporting another country out of resentment toward a minority risks painting the entire nation unfairly, he said.
For Chin'ono, his overall experience in South Africa outweighs the actions of a few individuals. "South Africa has given me a home, opportunities, and safety. I choose to judge the country by my overall experience and by the millions of decent South Africans I have encountered," he concluded.
As Bafana Bafana kick off their World Cup campaign, Chin'ono says football should unite, not divide. He urged people not to let anger toward a small group shape their view of an entire country.
"Those people don't define South Africa. Judge people as individuals, not an entire country by the actions of a few."