Political parties need to stand up against xenophobia, writes north-eastern suburbs resident
NORTHEASTERN-SUBURBS – A resident of the area feels that xenophobia needs to come to an end and this is why.
A resident of the north-eastern suburbs, Charisse Zeifert writes:
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies calls on all political parties to commit to responsible political discourse to stand up against xenophobia and speak out against any and all divisive and hateful rhetoric during election campaigning.
The recent wave of xenophobic violence has, in many instances, been fuelled by political leaders and statements in the build-up to the upcoming national elections in May.
Politicians have a responsibility to South Africa, and all who live in it, to use their positions of power and influence to build bridges between communities. They should embody the values of our country’s human rights culture and the democratic principles of our constitution.
The scapegoating, discrimination and prejudice only serve to corrode social cohesion and fuel tension and violence between different groups of people. Exploiting inequalities and pitting vulnerable groups against each other for their political expediency must be stopped. Words matter and hateful utterances lead to hateful actions and crimes.
We urge all South Africans to hold their leaders to account for both their words and actions, and for each of us to condemn racism, xenophobia and other forms of hate wherever we come across it.
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Related article:
https://northeasterntribune.co.za/230904/red-card-racism-and-xenophobia-urges-makhura/
