Plea to put an end to xenophobia and discrimination to mark Africa Day

AMNESTY International South Africa has urged authorities to bring an end to xenophobia and racial discrimination, in a bid to promote social cohesion and tolerance among communities.

This call was also made by the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa and eight other NGOs to mark Africa Day today.

The organisation said African refugees and migrants living in South Africa were subjected to frequent xenophobic attacks and other hateful acts, often accused of being criminals or stealing jobs from locals.

“Often, African refugees and migrants suffer human rights abuses in South Africa because of who they are and what they look like, without consequence for the perpetrators,” said Shenilla Mohamed, executive director of Amnesty International SA.

“Partly, these attacks have been fuelled by a long-standing culture of impunity and reckless leaders who use migrants and refugees as scapegoats for their political grandstanding and service delivery failures.”

On February 24, residents of Pretoria took to the migrants, as guaranteed streets protesting against by the constitution,” said high inequality, poverty and Thifulufheli Sinthumule, unemployment, blaming these advocacy officer for the Conon refugees and migrants. sortium for Refugees and

The protests were accomMigrants in South Africa. panied by confrontations and Gaudence Uwizeye, a comviolence. munity practitioner at the

In December last year, the Centre for the Study of Vioexecutive mayor of the City lence and Reconciliation, said: of Joburg, Herman Mashaba, “Equally, impunity for past described foreign nationals crimes and human rights violiving there as “criminals” lations against refugees and who hijacked m i g r a n t s the city. He must be blamed them for r e s o l v e d ,

Reckless leaders use the high level of with perpecrime in the city. t r a t o r s

migrants and refugees In October brought to last year, the justice in fair

as scapegoats cabinet opened trials.” the Prevention A soccer and Combating tournament of Hate Crimes comprising and Hate Speech Bill for pubvarious African nationalities lic comment. is taking place to commemor

Once it becomes law, it ate Africa Day. will create offences for sevIt starts at 9am at Bertha eral forms of discrimination, Solomon Recreation Centre including on the basis of race, in Jeppestown and people gender, sexual orientation, are encouraged to wear tradreligion and nationality. itional attire to symbolise

“Poverty cannot be used African cultural diversity. to justify murder and human Africa Day is the annual rights violations of African commemoration of the forrefugees and migrants in mation of the Organisation South Africa. of African Unity, now known

“Authorities must ensure as the African Union, after its that the law works for all, formation on May 25, 1963. including refugees and The day is celebrated various countries on the African continent, as well as in other parts of the world with strong historical links with Africa.

To commemorate Africa Day, 10 NGOs – the Jesuit Refugee Service, Sonke Gender Justice, the Co-ordinating Body for Refugee and Migrant Communities, Amnesty International SA, the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, Catholic Refugee Pastoral Care, ProBono.Org, the Refugee Children Project, Terre Des Hommes and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa – are holding a joint event in Joburg to teach and remind communities about their African cultural diversity, which unifies Africans and their liberation history.

Participants will be presented with an opportunity as Africans to reconnect and recommit themselves in supporting and lobbying for government interventions to develop a better and safer Africa for all, irrespective of nationality, race, gender, ethnicity and language.

African music, dance, poetry, speeches and cultural garment displays will form part of the commemoration activities.