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)