FOREIGNERS AND LOCALS UNITE
Malls blamed for taking hawkers’s jobs
“MALL [is] taking our jobs, not our African brothers,” screamed placards hoisted by Mamelodi hawkers at an anti-xenophobia march in Pretoria yesterday.
Hundreds of locals and foreign nationals took to the lawns of the Union Buildings, demanding to hand over a memorandum to President Jacob Zuma.
Foreign nationals, particularly those from African countries, have been under siege lately and were targeted in an anti-immigrant march two weeks ago.
A number of Somali-owned shops were looted in townships around Pretoria.
The anti-immigrant marchers accused foreign nationals of stealing their jobs and causing crime.
The placards by the Mamelodi hawkers made reference to a mall being developed outside the Denneboom train station, where they have been trading for many years.
Charles Ramokolo, one of the hawkers, said he joined the march because the mall will put them out of business.
“They are developing a mall in Denneboom but they are not promising to give us jobs,” said Ramokolo.
“People are busy saying foreigners are taking jobs, but it’s the mall that will take our jobs away from us.
“Where will we go after they’ve built a mall where we’ve conducted our business for many years?”
A coalition of civil organisations, including Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), organised the march.
Mametlwe Sebei, from the LHR, said immigrants were being incorrectly blamed for socio-economic problems in the country.
“Even if you were to evict immigrants from this country it would not resolve the problem of nine million strong army of the unemployed,” said Sebei.
“We have a huge backlog in housing. Also, only 60% of young people have access and participate in higher education.
“We should not allow them to scapegoat the innocent poor immigrant who, like us, are simply seeking ways of making a decent and honest living in this country,” added Sebei.
Mohamed Kafi, a shopkeeper from the war-torn Somalia, said his countrymen were in South Africa to seek refuge. “We came here to seek refuge not to make money. We're only trying to make ends meet. ”–