[SN-ANNOUNCE] Xenophobia GCAP Press Statement

[The Forum]

TO ALL SANGONeT USERS

14 May, 2008

Press Statement 

We, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty coalition of South Africa
(GCAP), (SANGOCO; SACC, NALEDI & The Forum) are alarmed by the recent
xenophobic acts leveled against African immigrants in Alexandra. Alexandra
and its inhabitances have a rich a history of a melting pot community,
composed of a diversity of cultures, races, and nationalities. To see the
current divisions expressed violently demonstrates a lack of tolerance and
humanity in our society.  

Have we as South African become so debased that the life of a fellow brother
or sister is prostituted to economic value. Have we lost all sense of
Mortality and Tolerance?
While poverty is often pointed to as a cause of crime, to take your
neighbor's life because of perceived competition for jobs or resources makes
it clear that there is a need for education about the structural causes of
poverty and inequality. Too many South Africans are blaming immigrants and
refugees for economic ills and shortages of skills in their own societies,
which are in fact caused by historical inequalities and government policies
that have failed to address them adequately.  In the long run, SA needs to
be far more practical and effective in ensuring development across the
region. More immediately, we require a major effort to receive migrants,
meet their immediate economic and social needs and protect their rights.

Taking the lives of people who are labeled 'foreigners', has not redressed
the issue of poverty and economic injustice for the perpetrator, nor has it
developed their skills to make them more competitive in the job market. The
levels of violence has escalated to not only foreigners being targeted, but
also fellow South Africans, who are perceived as not having a 'right' to be
in Gauteng from Limpopo or other provinces. Gauteng is a province that has
been built by migrants since its inception, and has been greatly enriched by
the skills they have brought.  

The need for an inclusive, nation building project that respects diversity,
dignity, and human rights is essential to combat the current social ills of
crime, poverty, and xenophobia. While unity needs to happen at a community
level, it should be supported by government policies that provide support
structures for the poor, that pioneer economic and gender justice in rural
and urban areas and that protect all who live in South Africa.  

We call on all South Africans to practice tolerance, acceptance, and
inclusion and to work together to build communities regardless any
differences. 
 
To register your support of the statement, please go to www.forum.org.za