Johannesburg -The City of Joburg has put several steps in place to safeguard against possible xenophobic violence which may erupt in the city following the violence in Tshwane on Friday.
Through the Joburg metro police department (JMPD), the city has taken steps to deal with the issues surrounding xenophobia and the threat of violence.
The JMPD is working in conjunction with the SAPS to develop an operational plan to respond to any xenophobic threats and attacks that may occur in the city.
A central provincial joint operations centre (JOC) is up and running, and all law enforcement agencies are represented on the JOC.
The JOC is convened to pull together all policing resources so that the response to any possible xenophobic threat is reacted to immediately.
In the city, focus for deployment will be Rosettenville as well as Alexandra, on the basis of intelligence received.
JMPD units dealing with public order policing form an integral part of the police that will be deployed in these areas.
There will also be a simultaneous monitoring of other areas where violence may occur based on past experiences, such as Soweto.
Other JMPD units will also be on standby to assist where required, and JMPD officers on the ground are feeding in any information that might point to any organised plans to attack foreigners.
Mayor Herman Mashaba said the city had also put in place long-term interventions for addressing the incidence of xenophobia through the migrant help desk.
The objectives of this desk include:
To develop a service frontline that provides migrants with relevant information on available services.
To develop and conduct anti-xenophobia awareness campaigns with city staff as well as local communities.
To establish and maintain partnerships with migrant organisations to identify concerns and address service gaps.
To liaise with and lobby provincial government departments on issues relating to migrants.
Mashaba said he was calling on all peace-loving South Africans to reject groupings which seek to place the blame for crime and unemployment squarely at the feet of foreign residents in our communities.
He expressed his deep concern over the flare-up of xenophobic violence in parts of Gauteng, most recently seen in Tshwane on Friday.
“I implore our residents not to take the law into their own hands and respect human rights and the rule of law. Johannesburg is a cosmopolitan city made up of people from differing socio-economic and political circumstances. There are many people who, out of desperation due to political, social and economic instability in their countries, seek a better life in Johannesburg, and indeed, South Africa as a whole."
“In this knowledge, it is essential that national government, and where applicable, provincial government, work with local government to tackle xenophobia in our society. My office remains open to participating in co-operative government interventions against xenophobia,” he stated.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation has also strongly condemned attacks on foreigners in South Africa. In a statement the foundation said: “Our leadership from all sectors of society, including government and business leaders, civil society, and parents who are leaders in homes, must rise from their comfort and not just speak anti-xenophobic messages, but act towards social cohesion and inclusion. Inaction in this matter will have far-reaching implications for South Africa and set us back decades as a stable democracy."
“The foundation expresses shock and takes exception to the authorities’ decision giving permission for a march of hatred in Tshwane."
“We call on all South Africans to take responsibility for embracing the hospitality that defines our democratic order and to work together to find solutions to a problem which is destroying lives and bringing South Africa shame internationally."
“We remind South Africans of Nelson Mandela’s firm rejection of xenophobia. In 1995, he addressed a gathering in Alexandra and said: ‘During the years I lived here, the people of Alexandra ignored tribal and ethnic distinctions. Instead of being Xhosas, or Sothos, or Zulus, or Shangaans, we were Alexandrans. We were one people, and we undermined the distinctions that the apartheid government tried so hard to impose. It saddens and angers me to see the rising hatred of foreigners’.”
The foundation’s chief executive, Sello Hatang, expressed his pain at the growing levels of “othering” evident in South Africa.
“The measures of who belongs and who doesn’t that we see being thrown around so recklessly are deeply problematic. I myself am beginning to feel ‘othered’, as my father’s family has its roots in Lesotho and my mother’s in Botswana.”
@annacox