Pro-foreigner counter-march planned in Pretoria

Two houses occupied by foreigners were set alight in Pretoria West, bringing a heavy police presence. Picture: Jacques Naude

Two houses occupied by foreigners were set alight in Pretoria West, bringing a heavy police presence. Picture: Jacques Naude

Published Feb 22, 2017

Share

Pretoria – In a desperate response to the march against foreigners in Pretoria on Friday, a counter-march has been proposed by organisations sympathetic to foreign nationals.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and various non-governmental organisations and foreign representatives on Tuesday told the media about the march, which followed the spate of xenophobic attacks which took place in the city.

But before the counter-march, scheduled for February 28 is conducted, a coalition of communities consisting of the LHR, the Gauteng Civic Association and foreign residents will first engage with the communities.

Candidate attorney at LHR and spokesperson for the Workers and Socialist Party Mametlwe Sebei said they were desperately working around the clock to convince people against this week’s march against foreigners.

He expressed the urgent need to harness human commonality out of the "mirrored cesspit of national chauvinism, Afro-phobia and a society deeply marked by its past and ongoing repression”, Sebei said.

He added that they tried to meet the march organisers, the Mamelodi Concerned Residents.

“We have attempted many times to schedule a meeting with them and they agreed, but said no foreigners were allowed at the meeting,” said Sebei.

The counter-march will be an act of unity by both South African nationals and foreigners, who will march together to the Union Buildings.

A memorandum will be submitted to the government to act on the issues facing the community, he said.

Pretoria News

Related Topics: