Cape Town - Government needs to do more to integrate foreign nationals into South African communities while local challenges need to be tackled, concurred a panel discussion hosted by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) on Tuesday.
“We are sitting on a ticking timebomb. Between 2008 and now, too little has been done,” said Stanley Henkeman, head of the IJR’s ‘Building an Inclusive Society’ programme and a mediator during the 2008 xenophobic attacks.
Henkeman recalled work done during the 2008 xenophobic attacks in the Western Cape.
“I was deployed in Lwandle on May 23, 2008. By that time, the majority of the foreign nationals displaced had done so voluntarily out of fear of what they had seen in Gauteng,” he said.
Henkeman said the voluntary displacement was one of the factors contributing to a lessened level of disaster.
Added to this was the then-WC government’s strategy in dealing with the immediate problem of xenophobic attacks.
“What we need in situations like this is leadership,” said Henkeman.
He added that failures in effectively tackling xenophobia included the absence of a plan for social integration and a government who had not dealt with its own past.
“We are a deeply traumatised people. We have a traumatised government trying to lead an equally traumatised and wounded society”.
Joining Henkeman on the panel was IJR collegue and head of communications Carolin Gomulia, Masiphumelele township Councillor Mzuvukile Nikelo, Director of the non-profit Cape Town Refugee Centre Vuyani Shwane, and Nkosekhaya Lala from the Department of the Western Cape Premier.
Speaking on her experience as part of the 2008 Western Cape Premier’s department, Gomulia said the strategy then was a reactionary one.
“2008 was very reactionary. There was no follow up done and no sustainable programme put in place,” she said.
Gomulia said, however, that they were faced with and trying to deal with a crisis.
“Within three days, 22 000 foreign nationals had been displaced”.
In his current position in the department of the Western Cape Premier, Lala said government was on alert and ready to deal with potential xenophobic flare ups.
“It is not sheer luck that these attacks have not reached the province yet,” said Lala.
He said the Western Cape government had, over the last three years, consulted various committees for guidance on the integration of foreign nationals.
Lala said the Western Cape government was committed to not being caught off-guard and were meeting twice a day to remain on high alert.
He also condemned the xenophobic attacks seen in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
“No matter the anger, there can never be a good enough reason to take someone’s life.”
Nikelo, a councillor in Masiphumelele which was regarded as a success story in fighting 2008 xenophobia, referred to anger, saying the country must tackle contributing challenges so that attacks on foreign nationals do not occur.
“A crisis does not begin when xenophobic attacks start. The crisis began when the foreign national had to leave his or her home country,” he said.
Nikelo said the crisis would continue when foreign nationals joined communities already scrambling for resources.
“The presence of the foreign national adds stress to the poor, unemployed community. The locals are already dealing with a situation that is inhumane”.
Nikelo said that poverty was a clear contributing factor, as evident in the attacks on foreign-owned shops.
“There is a food riot added to this. The Somalians have flooded the townships with spazas and they are often the main targets. This talks to the matter of poverty,” he said.
Nikelo added that any sustainable solutions to xenophobia had to come from the affected communities and not those safe from the attacks.
Shwane said integration was a “fundamental challenge faced by foreign nationals in South Africa”.
“I commend government on their liberal legislation in managing foreign nationals. However, there is no national integration strategy in place,” said Shwane.
He said added to the integration was an urgent need for public education.
“We have not explained why foreign nationals are here and who they are and that undermines our work for a humane society,” he said.
“How do you accept someone you don’t even know?”.
ANA