Fighting Foreigners as new weapon to Address Poor Services Delivery and Economic Challenges in South Africa

This year’s World Refugee Day commemoration was much special for and in the South Africa due to the recent xenophobic attacks on foreigners. Last year when we organized the Refugee Stand up and Speak out against Xenophobia Event; we have campaigned and raised awareness of our people and local authorities to the challenges of fighting all kind of xenophobic behaviours. The purpose was to develop a sense of peaceful ‘co-habitation’, harmony and partnership between South Africans and No-Nationals or foreigners living in the country.

In fact, many analyses and researches were/are highly claiming that South African xenophobia was/is in reality about anti-black foreign sentiments, and it is not about the fear of foreigners, but mainly about intense dislike, which is often expressed in terms of verbal and physical abuse. Additionally, in South Africa this subjective fear and absolute dislike seems to have translated itself into intense tension and violence by South Africans towards foreigners. This is to signify not only attitudes of dislike and fear, but also violent actions against foreigners in South Africa. This was effective when xenophobic attacks on No-Nationals started at Alexander location and quickly spreads throughout Gauteng Province and other provinces.

However, during the commemoration of the World Refugee Day last year, the minister of the Department of Home Affairs during her speech recognised the challenges they are facing in the department on one hand and in the country in the other hand. She has called her fellow countrymen and women to develop two core values – tolerance and acceptance - for a peaceful co-habitation with foreigners in general and asylum seekers and refugees in particular. She believed that “violence cannot be solution to our problems”. Was her address heard or not? Was it a deliberated and planned action? What were the core motivations of these attacks?

To these interrogations many and different views come from sociologist, anthropologist, politics and so on. However, it is really disturbing to experience what happened in South Africa recently. Consequently, South Africa’s government was forced to put ‘Temporary Shelters’ if not ‘refugee camps’ for the victims, despite its reputation of having an urban-based refugee population mostly based in the cities of Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. This has hampered the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into South African society. Foreigners have experienced discrimination from various service providers and the public as consequence of high levels of xenophobia.

A refugee however has the right to safe asylum, and should receive the same rights and basic services as any other foreigner who is a legal resident, including freedom of thought, of movement and freedom from torture and degrading treatment. Economic and social rights are equally applicable. Refugees should be given access to medical care, education and the right to work.
It is more than important to work towards the protection of the vulnerable communities more particularly asylum seekers and refugees. Despite civil society organisations and government authorities’ condemnation of the recent barbaric attacks on foreigners, it is still crucial and challenging for them to educate our people on Refugee’s conventions and protocols that South Africa is one of signatories. Because of its current leading role in and for the continent in pushing the African Union, New Partnership for Africa Development and Other regional organisations’ agenda. It is our responsibility to educate and remind our people to develop the spirit of ‘Ubuntu’ and of ‘Pan-African’. Since our division will not favour our strength; our unity will empower and help us to fight together the challenges of development and others in the continent.

Police Raid at a Johannesburg Methodist Church

South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO) is much concerned about the South African Police Services (SAPS) raid last Wednesday at the Central Methodist Church in the Johannesburg CBD around 11:00pm. SANGOCO has considered this attack as an undermining way of human rights and dignity – enforced by our Constitution. In fact, the South African Police Service raid is additionally seen as a disgrace to the church and to Bishop Paul Verryn. The coalition asserts that such operation is contrary to the South African UBUNTU and African Fraternity and Unity spirit.

The police deployment into the Methodist church - without any warning notice to the church superintendent (Bishop Paul Verryn) - and conducting arbitrary arrests of hundreds of immigrants who are living in the church constitute a transgression of our human rights and security strongly protect by the South African Constitution. In fact, the Constitution emphasizes on the human rights protection.

Concordant sources attest that many of Zimbabwean asylum seekers and refugees (men, women and children as well) were arrested and detained at the Johannesburg central Police Station after being beaten and loaded into the police trucks. Their situation was critical and needed urgent and adequate solutions. In fact, the detainees were cut off any form of assistance (medical, legal, social…) by police.

According to the Bishop of the Central Methodist Church, the detainees had been denied adequate food and water on Friday. He said the people arrested were in exile in South Africa from African countries, particularly Zimbabwe, and they were allegedly assaulted and their property destroyed during the raid. Bishop Verryn said that although the police were looking for criminals in the building, “they themselves became the perpetrators of criminal action”. This shows the ambiguity of charges brought against the detainees.

Civil society and non-governmental organisations are undertaking actions against such unprofessional way of conducting raid by the SAPS. Therefore, the Legal Resource Centre was appointed as legal representation for the detainees after the church - known as a haven for Zimbabwean refugees.

SANGOCO is calling upon its members organisations to stand and plan actions that will help keep the better image of our society and country in term of sociality and fraternity to accommodate our fellow African brothers and sisters. The coalition believes that ahead of 2010 world cup event, we have the challenge of protecting and safeguarding human rights and dignity. In fact, many people who see South Africa as a Land of ‘milk and honey’ or current ‘Africa’s Paradise’ come and expect to stay in a safe and secured environment. Such attack on foreigners can be an impediment to the event to pull millions of fans Soccer lovers into South Africa.

SANGOCO recognizes the challenges that the SAPS is facing in fighting and combating crime. So far, the coalition acknowledges the wonderful job undertaken by the police in tracking down crime rate in the country. Yet, everyone is calling upon a ‘free crime’ South Africa. Consequently, there is a national responsibility to work and end crime.

Its concern however lies on the way the SAPS is conducting its raids. SANGOCO believes that the Church cannot be a sanctuary for criminals. In fact, the churches and NGOs are the mostly affected organisations which are sharing immigrants (legal or illegal) challenges and trying to help them and give them hopes. It is therefore necessary that the SAPS works closely with the department of home affairs, civil society, non governmental, faith based and community based organisations with the purpose of not only identifying legal or illegal immigrants but also knowing their problems and challenges.

Additionally, the coalition strongly regrets the crude way in which the police services are operating in and selling the country. SANGOCO thinks that what happened at the Central Methodist Church must be a learning experience for the SAPS and such attack will never continue as it undermines people’ s freedom, security, respect and dignity. But if necessary, the raid can be conducted for sake of our people and country safety and security but with respect to human rights and dignity.

Speak Out Event: Refugee Communities in Action

The Refugee Speak Out event was one of the activities during the month of mobilisation and action 2007. The event was hosted by South African NGO Coalition (SANGOCO), Methodist Church, Refugee Ministries Centre (RMC), Coordinating Body of Refugee Communities (CBRC) and partners. The ceremony started two hours late for divers reasons include: working day, venue access procedure, and logistic problems.

By hosting the “Refugee Speak Out” we hoped to raise awareness of the plight of refugees and non nationals living in Johannesburg, Gauteng and our country. Over 12 refugees’ communities have provided human testimony of their lives here in South Africa, and we were hoping to get the Minister of Home Affairs and the UNHCR representatives but they could not make it because of their commitments. But civil society respondents were available to speak to their plight, and hopefully commit towards finding just and durable short, medium to long term solutions to the crisis of refugees and non nationals.

The presence of the Zimbabwean community was perceptible (about 40%). In their testimonies, they were calling upon South African government and the UNHCR to find solutions on their situation because they believed that they are more marginalised than other refugee communities.

The event was part of the events organised worldwide under the banner of the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) during the month of October culminating on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - 17 October - of which SANGOCO and the Methodist Church are leading members. Hassen Lorgat, Acting Executive Director of Sangoco, concluded the ceremony by inviting 200 participants to bear in mind that there is a lot to do for the refugee communities’ challenges. Because, he believed these are also our own challenges and we have the obligation to find adequate solutions. Hassen then added that South African xenophobia is becoming dangerous and there is a need for new policies with regard to migrant and refugee. Finally, he invited all the guests to have lunch provided by refugee communities (Zimbabwean, Congolese, Ivorian, Rwandese, Somali, Sudanese, etc)

New Ways of Financing Development in Africa

Globalisation is today a reality that any country cannot avoid. As such, there is a need to fight and be on track. Coming from a workshop on ‘Innovative Sources for Financing Development’ hosted by South African NGOs Coalition in partnership with World Economic, Ecology and Development (WEED), I would like to reflect on what we need for bring changes in our so called ‘developing countries’.

In fact, the reality is that many of the Third World’s countries are desperately working for to develop themselves. Confronted by the lack of finances, they are unable to go ahead besides their efforts. Therefore the need of having bilateral and/or multilateral co-operations is necessary to this end. But, what is happening in reality is that these multilateral relationship and co-operation seem to be beneficial to the ‘developed countries’. Is there time for us to look for new alternatives that directly suit and respond our needs and interests?

Many African people believe that the black trade and colonization are the core sources of Africa’s underdevelopment. What is relatively true or false, according to one or another? But in my sense, it is important to share responsibility instead of blame western powers. In fact I believe that we have played big role to the underdevelopment of our continent. Therefore, there is no need, in my sense, to look that did this or that, but let focus on what to do in order to go ahead. Additionally, let look where we failed and find new strategies and mechanisms that will help us grow in term of development. What should we concretely need to do?

Traditionally speaking, most of countries are still financially depending on the Bretton Wood institutions in their national adjustment development programmes. This is what a traditional way through which our states are trying to be financially sustained in order to ‘fulfill’ government programmes. But the reality is showing that despite World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s debts and assistance many of our African countries are still not on the track of meeting the MDGs by 2015. Thus, what hope for the people of Africa? Why do not they create new development strategy?

Actually, there is a crucial need of new vision and innovative inspiration for development in our continent. It is more than necessary that our political leaders and our governments orient their programme of action towards peoples and for peoples. Time for demagogical speeches is over. Let now work for a better life of our peoples. Time for keeping begging must be over, because ‘by always begging we will remain eternal beggars and be considered like small kids’! Instead of being so, let rethink about our situation and then change our current development strategies for bright future of our societies. Do not await the solution to our development issues from our western partners and international institutions, let us look around us and create and/or initiate developmental projects that will enable and empower our peoples and societies.

SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL INTEGRITY SYSTEMS

Corruption is one of the greatest challenges in and for our society and state in nowadays. We strongly believe that corruption does not have only serious negative consequences for the Country, government and people but is also the key and fundamental factor of state collapse. Fortunately this challenge can be cured and confronted. Combating corruption is however a societal and political discourse. Thus there is on the one hand the necessary to have vigilance and preventive measures and on the other hand the high sense of integrity to the managing and supervising agents in their responsibility to fight corruption.

Worldwide concern for combating corruption by improving the levels of governance and accountability has never been higher whether in public or in the private sector. This shows the clear link between corruption, good governance, transparence and the rule of law.

However, each country has its mechanisms to prevent corruption thereby restoring the integrity of public sector. There is generally a system of code of ethical behaviour. In case of South Africa, fighting corruption and achieving good governance are still challenges since 1994. Many anti- corruption initiatives have been put in place until the adoption of the Public Service Anti-Corruption Strategy (PSAS).

In fact, corruption concern in South Africa is crucial and needs particular attention for to materialize and fulfill the commitment of transformation and development of the country. South Africa has this strong political commitment to fight corruption, both in our political leadership and through collective civil mobilisation, range of legislation, an independent institutions such as Auditor-General, Public Protector and the Public Service Commission, a well-functioning criminal justice system, codes for conduct of Public Officials and codes that deal with breaches of conduct, the new Prevention of Corruption Act rectifies the shortcomings of the Corruption Act of 1992 (the Act is clear and explicit in its definitions and provides tools for investigation and prosecution as well as more severe penalties. It also provides for extra-territorial jurisdiction over offences, which is essential for compliance with international best practice and the practical issues of enterprises, which do business outside South Africa), corruption is still a challenge in the Democratic South Africa. And then why despite all above mentioned mechanisms?

The need to foster and sustain high levels of ethics in the public service has come into the spotlight with a global shift of focus. It is important to note that Integrity testing can have a role to play, and the assets and liabilities of officers at particular risk may need to be monitored. Though, to have integrity systems in place supported by good legislation and policy, effective implementation and enforcement of such legislation is a critical step in efforts to prevent and fight corruption. Furthermore, there is a huge need to enhance control of political parties private and public funds by regulating them and then ensuring accountability and transparency.

Therefore, depolitised and independent media, justice system together with vibrant and strong civil society have to play a great role by monitoring and fighting against corruption. But they need laws that guarantee their work and safety. Lastly, decent salaries for public sector official and officer, forces of order (Police Officer) and security, judiciary and civil service, is another crucial response to the fight against corruption. It is now time for us to be winners.

Eradication of Poverty's International Day: What is its impact?

Living in a very challenging world, where each and every day, peoples are standing up against corruption and social injustice for being core sources of States collapse, social inequality and poverty.

In 2000, world’s leaders agreed to end up with poverty; this ‘god’ news was seen as a possible new world. Unfortunately, the Millennium Development Goals continue to be unrealistic, as consequences of continual states mismanagement, civil war, human trafficking activities, terrorism, refugees, hunger (food shortages), poverty and etc (not only in Africa but also in other third world countries).

Therefore, we think it is more than important to stand up and act in order to bring positive changes to all above mentioned crises. Last October 17th, we were planning many actions with the purpose of pushing states decisions-makers and executives to work for a better world for all. Because we believe that tomorrow will be bright for our nations and peoples if ever there is a sense of humanity and responsibility for and in all. Thus, let be always hand in hand for fighting injustice, inequality and poverty in order to build our societies where freedom, peace, justice, food security, harmony, opportunities and so on will be guaranteed to all our brothers and sisters.

Let's Fight Poverty this October 17th.

Each single year, we celebrate International Day Against Poverty. This event or day is October 17th. Living in a very challenging world, where each and every day, peoples are standing up against corruption and injustice for being core sources of States collapse, social inequality and poverty.
When in 2000, world’s leaders agreed to end up with poverty; this ‘god’ news was seen as a possible new born world. Unfortunately, the Millennium Development Goals continue to be unrealistic, as consequences of continual states mismanagement, civil war, human trafficking activities, terrorism, refugees, hunger (food shortages), poverty and etc (not only in Africa but also in other third world countries).
Therefore, we think it is more than important to stand up and act in order to bring positive changes to all above mentioned crises. For the coming October 17th, we are planning many actions with the purpose of pushing states decisions-makers and executives to work for a better world for all.
All these considered, we believe that tomorrow will be bright for our nations and peoples. But, let be always hand in hand for fighting injustice, inequality and poverty in order to build our societies where freedom, peace, justice, food security, harmony, opportunities and so on will be guaranteed to all our brothers and sisters.

What will be your contribution to that event? Are you ready to be part of the event? Are willing to join us and together fight poverty? Stand up and Act now, do not delay.