Alex residents march against Xenophobia

Alex News senior journalist, Sipho Siso, who is at the march, said it began at the Sankopano Community Centre at 10am.

While the march has not attracted the numbers of people seen protesting the recent acts of violence against foreign nationals at other anti-Xenophobia events, youth league branch spokesperson Kenneth Mgaga said he hoped it would still send a message to the township’s young residents.

“The march has attracted only a few people, with the excuse that the timing isn’t good, because it is the end of the month, and people need to sort out their money and their lives,” he said.

“But even if only a few join the march, we are happy that the message will still be conveyed.”

Mgaga explained that most perpetrators of Xenophobic violence appeared to be young people.

“If they see the youth [of Alex] saying, ‘Not in our name,’ they may understand [that Xenophobia is wrong]. It’s peer education.”

The marchers are singing revolutionary songs, the words of some seemingly in contradiction to the spirit of the march, as they make their way through Alex, to bring the march to a close at the Thusong Youth Centre.

“The message [of the march] is that people must stop being Xenophobic, and that they should embrace foreigners. If there are problems, they should be reported to the relevant law enforcement agencies; if there are issues to be discussed, people should know the correct channels for discussing these issues,” said Mgaga.

Updates will follow.