Migrant support group finally paid prize money
THE Department of Home Affairs has paid Grahamstown’s Khulumani Support Group R100 000 in prize money following a lengthy battle about the correct winner of the 2015 Mkhaya Migrant Award.
The money had been paid to Khulumani on Wednesday‚ the Legal Resources Centre said yesterday.
The Mkhaya Migrant Awards were launched in 2015 by the minister of home affairs in an effort to address xenophobic violence against foreigners in South Africa and honour the valuable work done by the migrant community.
The Khulumani Support Group nominated Mbulelo Lipile‚ the founder of the Grahamstown Foreign Shop Owners’ Dialogue Platform‚ in the category of “Most Integrated Community”. The nomination had been motivated by Lipile’s efforts to secure a peaceful co-existence among local and foreign shop owners‚ based on civic agreements forged among all role-players and witnessed by local police, the resources centre said.
The forum had spearheaded an initiative that demonstrated the spirit of inclusiveness towards migrants and foreign nationals by actively promoting tolerance‚ integration‚ unity and social cohesion, it said.
In response to xenophobic attacks on foreigners who owned spaza shops in Grahamstown‚ the forum also aided in resolving conflicts between the local and foreign spaza shop owners‚ as well as conflicts between shop owners and the community.
Although Lipile’s nomination was accepted as the winning nomination‚ the minister of home affairs decided to award the prize to the Makana Municipality on behalf of the Makana community.
In February, the Khulumani Support Group and Lipile‚ represented by the resources centre, instituted proceedings in the Grahamstown High Court to compel the minister of home affairs to award the prize to Lipile and pay the prize money to the Khulumani Support Group as the charity of his choice.
The Department of Home Affairs agreed to settle the matter.
“The R100 000 will be used to further the work of the Foreign Shop Owners’ Dialogue in creating a peaceful community free from xenophobic violence‚” the Legal Resources Centre said. – TimesLIVE