The African Diaspora Forum (ADF) strongly condemns the recent reckless remarks by the Deputy-Minister of Police, Hon. Bongani Mkongi and the Executive Mayor of the city of Johannesburg, Clr. Herman MASHABA addressed to the public a few days ago.
Mr. Mkongi on Friday 14th July during a press conference at Hillbrow police station, alleged that foreign nationals are currently occupying 80% of Hillbrow and its surrounding areas. It would have been better and smarter of him to provide the public with his source(s) of statistics. We are advising him to go and check the official figures of the last census. The African Diaspora Forum (ADF) is prepared to provide him with the correct figures in case he doesn’t find them.
On the other hand, the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba on 27th July cynically hammered that no foreign nationals legal or illegal will benefit from the State housing scheme. For that matter, we would like to remind the Mayor, that foreign nationals have no such expectations to be provided free houses. We rather encourage him to provide the much needed services he promised the electorate without using migrants as an excuse for his failures. We are advising the Democratic Alliance (DA), if Xenophobia is not their strategy to gain power, Mayor Herman Mashaba should be disciplined like they did the Western Cape Premier Helen Zille when she tweeted on colonialism.
The worry of all migrants’ communities is that such reckless remarks may incite more xenophobic violence, contempt for others, hatred towards migrants who seek nothing but a country of refuge. Hence the necessity of not accepting such statements in a society confronted with the migratory phenomenon. Because we all are mindful there are several rational and relevant explanations for the twenty first century’s migration: dictatorship, human rights abuse, wars, famine, persecution as well as socio-economic reasons…
The African Diaspora Forum (ADF) is astounded as to why a government official would render such a fire kindling statement in a society that already faced hatred, antecedents in recent past? Are foreign nationals unwelcome in South Africa? The current increase in attacks on foreign nationals in the country can easily be attributed to Xenophobia not being criminalised. We appeal to South African authorities to take strict measures on any type of discrimination whatsoever. This will discourage any perpetrator.
We are all aware that South Africa in general, and the city of Johannesburg in particular, is everyday faced with many pressing social challenges such as poverty, unemployment, inequality and corruption to name but a few. These are the key issues on which the political debates should focus on, instead of uttering xenophobic statements that would likely stir another spate of attacks on foreign nationals.
We therefore urge authorities to avoid making xenophobic remarks that neither foster social cohesion, nor solve their political problems. Because we are all mindful that the presence of migrants is not synonymous with usurpation of the rights of the nationals nor taking possession of their homeland.
We appeal to some South African authorities to show some restraint and dissociate foreign nationals with their political accountability to the citizens of South Africa, political manipulation, and make sure daily social problems are put first instead of finding scapegoats.
So, we vigorously say no to hate speech and xenophobic statements that tend to jeopardise lives of non-nationals who found refuge in the Republic of South Africa.
The African Diaspora Forum (ADF)
Mr. Johnson Emeka, Head of communication and Public Relations.
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