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19 May 2008

Yesterday, Sunday 18 May 2008, Premier Ebrahim Rasool launched the celebrations of Africa Day which is on 25 May. The Premier addressed the Annual Africa Day mass in St Mary's Catholic Cathedral. This mass was attended by diplomats from Africa, various refugee communities and leaders of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) active in the area of migration and refugees.

The Premier also opened the Leading African Women in Business Conference on the same day. This conference had delegates from all over Africa including Nigeria, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and South Africa. Other delegates from Africa withdrew at the last moment because of the news that xenophobic attacks took place and feared for their safety should they come.

In the Cathedral the Premier's message was simple:
"We came here to launch our celebrations for Africa Day, but we do so under a cloud. Across our country, particularly in Gauteng, people have been attacked, robbed of their possessions and killed simply for being Africans from another country."

It is a shame that some South Africans are making themselves guilty of such criminal activities when, especially, South Africans ought to know better. All our scriptures are absolutely clear that strangers have rights to safety and hospitality. Where would Christianity be if Egypt in Africa did not give refuge to Jesus and the early Christians 2000 years ago? Where would Islam be if Abbysinia in Africa did not give refuge to the early persecuted Muslims about 1400 years ago? Where would Judaism be if Morocco in Africa did not give refuge to the Jews expelled from Spain 500 years ago?

Meeting a stranger is an opportunity to do well, not an invitation to persecute. We have learnt these lessons the hard way over the last few years as we changed conflict in Masiphumelele, Lawaaikamp and other places into opportunities for co-operation between such "strangers" and South Africans. I ask all of you from all over Africa to reactivate your connections with government and the police so that we can prevent these attacks from recurring.

At the "leading women of Africa" conference, the Premier in opening the Conference said about the attacks:

"You came from all over the African continent at a very difficult time when South Africans collectively are embarrassed, and even ashamed, about the attacks on fellow Africans by some South Africans. We are particularly embarrassed that some African delegates even feared coming to South Africa because they feared being the victims of such xenophobia. This is a moment of shame especially because we are on the eve of celebrating Africa Day.

"I am uncomfortable referring to these attacks as acts of xenophobia. Xenophobia translated as the fear of strangers is too respectable a label to put to robbery, dispossession, persecution and murder. It gives the impression that such acts can be excused because they are driven by an irrational fear of those who look, talk, eat and pray differently. In the name of fearing strangers some think they can do to them whatever they want.

"Learning from our own examples in Masiphumelele and Lawaaikamp, I want to assert that at the heart of these attacks is criminality: It is robbery, it is intimidation, and it is murder! At the heart of it is often business rivalry where some are paid to do terrible things to strangers to eliminate competition from those who do better business than us.

"When we call such acts by their name criminality then we know what we must do. We must act against the criminals. We have put the police, the intelligence service and the social dialogue directorate on standby to prevent the spread of such criminal violence to the Province, to safeguard refugee communities and to apprehend any criminals who may want to spearhead to all of you, representatives from the African continent and I can only express sincere regret. We are sorry that these images of violence have occurred, that South Africans appear intolerant to fellow Africans. We are sorry for the loss of African lives when Africa has been so good to us during our difficult times."

Enquiries:
Shado Twala
Spokesperson
Office of the Premier of the Western Cape
Tel: 021 483 5642
Fax: 021 483 5636
Cell: 083 640 6771
E-mail: stwala@pgwc.gov.za

Issued by: Office of the Premier, Western Cape Provincial Government
19 May 2008