[DEBATE] : "South Africa we are listening, Africa we are sorry!"

[Dominic Tweedie]

ANCYL Statement, 30 May 2008


South Africa we are listening, Africa we are sorry!


The ANC Youth League, AZAYO, IFPYB, DA Youth, other Faith-Based Youth
Organisations, Personalities and the Business Sector today launched a
Youth Front Against Xenophobia through a campaign dubbed "South Africa
We are listening, Africa we are sorry".

The recent attacks on non-South African Nationals is a worrying
development in the light of South Africa preparing for its 15yrs of
Democratic Rule. The history of South Africa speaks volumes to the
notion of one people irrespective of nationality, ethnicity or
religious affiliation. That is why the recent attacks cannot be
tolerated or left uncontrolled.

The Youth in its endeavor to bring about change to this situation has
brought together a Front of youth practioners in the following areas:

•	Politics
•	Entertainment
•	Business
•	Sports

The front will seek to engage in the following activities as part of
its contribution to ending the spade of violence in our communities:

DIALOGUE

The focus in this area will be to open up dialogue between residences
of the affected communities. The dialogue will seek to involve young
personalities who will share their experiences of traveling abroad and
how it has impacted on their personalities.

The dialogue will seek to bring to the fore the real issues that are
affecting residence in the areas affected by the violence. This is
aimed at doing away with the notion that the concern is only for the
non-South African Nationalities, but rather to address the concern of
the communities as a whole.

The dialogue will seek to promote integration with in these
communities with out creating the elusive wall of division.

PETITION

The petition will focus on public education of the South African Laws
pertaining to immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers. This will be
achieved by petitioning the Speaker of Parliament to dedicate a
special week of debate in parliament on the above-mentioned process.

The petition will be distributed by the front of progressive youth in
the affected communities. Thereafter, the Front will select a
delegation to parliament to deliver the petition.

BENEFIT TO THE AFFECTED COMMUNITIES

The benefit will be focusing on edutainment on the effects of
Xenophobia. It will also assist the affected communities to deal with
the loss of soft goods as part of the violence.

The benefit will be a tool for continued engagement in the South
African Communities.

CONCLUSION

The focus of this campaign is to encourage open dialogue amongst young
people in South Africa irrespective of their country of origin. The
future generations will charge us on how we have been able to resolve
the conflict imposed on is by our colonial past.

Last but not least "It's not yet Uhuru", take a moment to think about
your national anthem "Nkosi Sikeleli Africa".

Issued by: The Youth Front Against Xenophobia

For more information contact the ANCYL's Media office: Thandiwe Mokaba
- tmokaba at anc.org.za or 079 156 6091