The day we stood up and said no

Thousands arrived to support the peace march for a united Africa against xenophobia from Curries Fountain to Durban's City Hall on Thursday with police on high alert.

Police were well prepared for any incidents and back up Metro and SAPS were noticeably present as they lead from the front and took up positions along the route.

While the thousands supporting peace walked with placards saying, Say No to Xenophobia, Stop Xenophobia, We are Africa, Africa Unite, No Xenophobia, Racists, Religious Extremists and Hate must Fall through Durban streets, protesters, including a group of taxi drivers chanted “They must go” and could be seen wielding sticks and threatening violence.

Michael van Niekerk, a political science student said he had come to the peace march to represent South Africa Today, a group of students from various tertiary institutes who came to support an end to xenophobic violence.

Organisations, individuals and families joined the march supporting peace despite the disruptive elements along the route. Police were forced to use water canons to stop the protesting mobs who shouted and expressed their strong feelings against foreigners living in South Africa.

When the march ended at the Durban City Hall, Mayor James Nxumalo welcomed the crowd saying, “Hello Africa. We must do away with Xenophobia and unite Africa.”

Bishop Rubin Philip of the Anglican Church said, “We are all God's people, let us unite together as one Africa.” The bishop referenced the Bible story of David and Goliath to the problematic xenophobic situation in the country. “Xenophobic is like Goliath, but you and I need to defeat this Goliath. I challenge you to become a child of peace and healing in South Africa.”

“Say no to violence, say no to xenophobia and no to anything that divides us,” the clergyman added.

Premier, Senzo Mchunu said, “We must stand together to make our voice against xenophobia together known. Our enemy as Africa is poverty, unemployment not our nationality! We say no to the attacks on foreigners, respect one another, foreigners must respect us as South Africans and we must respect foreigners. This march is for peace, we pledge peace and an end to xenophobia,” he said.

The KZN police commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the security forces in KwaZulu-Natal for the manner in which they conducted themselves during the march in Durban. “I am happy with the overall operation as police were able to demonstrate that we have the capacity to police an event such as this and ensure that those volatile areas are also policed. We are appealing again to our communities, local and foreign, to heed the calls made by our leaders and to desist from illegal activities,” she said.

The march organized by Provincial Government was aimed at condemning the recent violence directed against foreigners. Approximately 10 000 members of the community as well as political, religious and civic leaders marched from the Curries Fountain Stadium to the Durban City Hall. There was a heavy presence of armed police officials in uniform to ensure that the high profile dignitaries and all who participated in the march were unharmed and that peace and order prevailed throughout. SAPS and Metro Police members were deployed at strategic points and while the proceedings were in progress at the City Hall.

While pockets of violent mobs gathered outside the police barricade a kilometre away from the city hall, they were swiftly dispersed by members of the Public Order Police (POP). There were no violent attacks or serious incidents reported throughout the march and even after participants of the march dispersed. Nine arrests were made by police for illegal gathering and other offences.