In May 2008, at least 62 people, including five Zimbabweans, died when South Africans attacked African migrants, accusing them of stealing their jobs and women as well as competing for social services.
Thousands of others were displaced, while property valued at millions of Rand was either destroyed or looted.
“It is years after the attacks, but memories and after-effects still linger in the minds of some who were affected,” said Aline Mugisho, head of communication for the African Diaspora Forum. The commemoration has been slated for May 18 at the Yeoville Recreation Centre.
“We have lined up a number of influential African speakers to give addresses and performances at the event, as we remember the 62 people killed during the worst violence that raged in South Africa,” said Mugisho. According to the Wits University’s African Centre for Migration Studies, threats of new xenophobic attacks are still very high, while some pockets of sporadic violence have also been reported on Pakistani, Somali and Zimbabwean businesspersons on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
The commemoration, whose theme is “One Society, One Africa”, will also serve to preach peace and tolerance.
Among the guests shortlisted to speak are keynote speaker, Graca Machel, wife of former South African President, Nelson Mandela, who will be representing the Mandela Foundation; Bishop Owen McGregor of the Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church, who is also a member of the South African Council of Churches and Steve Faulkner of South African Municipal Workers Union.
At the event, there will be a review of the current trends on xenophobic violence and incidences and some information on how these could be countered.
Post published in: Africa News
South African should teach us about how discrimination is bad, unfortunately we are discriminated by some South African, and only us other African. Afrophobia.