Roodepoort unites against xenophobia
Roodepoorters united against xenophobia and took to the streets to express this over the weekend.
Led by the ANC Zone 5 and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL)’s Brian Bunting branch, protestors took to the streets to express their disgust at the latest spate of xenophobia in South Africa. They also showed their solidarity with families and businesses already affected by it.
ANC Zone 5 chairperson Phosana Mngqibisa earlier told the Record that the branch condemns all xenophobic attacks.
“We want to teach our community and children that we are who we are today because of the assistance of others,” he said.
He said that during the apartheid struggle, residents received help from other African countries.
“We have freedom in this country because of their assistance,” Mngqibisa said.
Residents of nearby informal settlements, including the Ruimsig informal settlement and Zandspruit were invited to march along, as well as residents of all Region C wards including Witpoortjie, Helderkruin and Matholesville. Zone 5 also invited Congolese, Nigerian and Somali representatives to participate in the walk.
Mngqibisa said the committee chose to start the walk at an informal settlement (Ruimsig, near the Ruimsig Athletics Stadium) because foreign nationals own businesses there and live there, and students from African countries study at the nearby Monash University South Africa campus.
“There are also a lot of foreigners working maybe as domestic workers or gardeners in these areas,” Mngqibisa said.
“We chose Hendrik Potgieter Road because it is prominent and busy, we wanted to make maximum impact.”
“We want to send a strong message to the community that Roodepoort will not tolerate these attacks,” he said.
“Foreign nationals deserve the same benefits as enshrined in our constitution and for the community not to take the law into their own hands.”
The group of peaceful protestors received massive support from the community as well as motorists who travelled along Hendrik Potgieter Road, on which they remained for the majority of their walk. Metro Police escorted the crowd along the road and blocked off necessary paths as they moved through.
The walk was ended at Strubens Valley Library, where interviews with the media followed.
