XENOPHOBIA, THE SURVIVORS, THE HELPERS

Xenophobia did this to these babies

Children need us to protect and love them

This is what we have done to our Brothers and Sisters.Members and volunteers of the Johannesburg Red Cross giving a helping hand to the refugees at the Rifle Range refugee camp.

With our our help and donations they can do more

WOMEN AND RIGHTS VS CULTURE AND RELIGION

The case of Zimbabwean woman Venia Magaya is well-known in Southern Africa. Magaya brought a legal case contesting eviction from the house she had been living in all the way to the Supreme Court. Magaya’s half-brother forced her to leave the home she had been living in when her father passed away, and argued to the court that women could not inherit the same as men. Magaya lost. The court gave precedence to customary law over the bill of rights. They ruled that women could not be equal to men before the law because of African cultural norms and "the nature of African society," making customary law immune from the non-discrimination clause. A characteristic feature of the legal systems of all the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries is the co-existence of customary and religious laws alongside the perceived European law. A clause that makes explicit the supremacy of constitutional rights over customary, religious or other laws in the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development being reviewed at the upcoming Heads of State Summit in August will be an important yardstick for countries to measure against in their ongoing law reform processes. The SADC Protocol Alliance, comprised of more than 16 organisations and experts from the region, is calling for the Protocol to state explicitly that where there are contradictions between customary law and Constitutional provisions for gender equality the latter is given precedence. The reality for most women in Southern Africa is that constitutional and legal provisions mean very little because in reality customary and or religious laws govern their lives. Thus, for women to have meaningful legal protection, their rights must be enshrined in laws that are not open to interpretation.

IN NEED OF JUSTICE

Was any of these people punished? If so what are the proceedings todate?

They should be held accountable for xenophobic attacks in their area. Anybody with info regarding the isue, please let us know.

REFUGEES OR IMMIGRANTS?

What do we call our fellow Africans? Is the media correct by calling Xenophobia Survivors refugees. From a government point of view, what do we call them and why?

MAN KILLED FOR A BUBBLEGUM

"A South african man killed for a bubblegum" That's the Daily Sun, Monday 9th June 2008.
The article goes as far as stating that the victim was murdered by a Somali businessman after an arguement over a flavoured bubblegum, it later states that the victim is a SouthAfrican and the Somali businessman has fled since the incident. However the newspaper ignores the fact that it could be fuelling xenophobic attacks in the Eastern Cape. Shouldn't the Daily Sun, as SA's biggest selling daily newspaper practice responsible reporting( Journalism)? This article could lead to another spate of fresh attacks on foregn nationals. This is just one of their silly articles and they do cause harm in all aspects.
People lets try to keep such hate stories off our newpapers, they breed anger and hatred instead of uniting people.
Should the media continue publishing these stories, that may leave other people in danger?

WE NEED TO END VIOLENCE

We need to end the Violence
By El Supreme


We need to end the violence that seems to rule our lives, the violence that crucified the peace and shot dead our public safety, raping our liberty and freedom to be who we are, free beings.

We need to end the violence; we need to end the violence that separates us from our humanity leaving us drowning in a river of insanity, killing our brothers and sisters, showing no mercy or pity. It doesn’t matter if it happens in the village, the township or the city. We need to end the violence. Subtract it from our reality, the violence in the streets, the homes, families, workplaces, in our relationships, now the violence is rising in our schools and universities.

We need to end the violence, and put an end to the deafening silence, by facing the issues and dealing with the hate, anger and pain that’s in our presence, for in essence we’re all food of the same pot, flowers of the same garden and birds of the same feather, only we don’t flock together, brother kills sister, sister kills brother, parent rapes and imprisons daughter, brother treats brother like stranger.

Not being able to deal with the phobia and anger, we hurt those we want to control and overpower, we verbally abuse those we claim to love and ridicule those in serious need of encouragement, love and support.

We need to end the violence, that pierces the souls of the deceased’ s surviving family, wondering why do their loved ones have to die, leaving so many to cry.
This violence that some claim is our inheritance, natural, masculine, manly and normal needs to be punched in the face and kicked in the behind, to feel a taste of its own violence, but No, we will not stoop that low, lest we be just the same to those that perpetrate the violence. We shall peacefully, March like a great army of soldiers ready for mighty battle.
We shall make mention of the inequalities that fuels and sponsors this violence. We shall take a stand against all forms of abuse and violence especially on our women and children. We shall let know those who deal in violence that to them we pledge No allegiance, but wish and strive for the transformation and we shall condemn all violent actions against our fellow African brothers, who’re called foreigners, yet being children of our beloved Mother continent Africa.
We shall stand against discrimination and violent murders our brothers and sisters suffer due their sexual orientation, color of skin and country of origin. We shall fight in peace and love to reclaim the sanity of this great African Nation.

We shall amend dangerous cultural belief and religious systems that feed and fatten this monster violence. We shall create new cultures of Love, tolerance, acceptance, compassion and a spirit of good human relation.

For we truly need to end this Violence. It’s a matter of emergency. We need to end this violence.


Mogomotsi "Supreme" Mfalapitsa
Senior Transformation Agent

XENOPHOBIA AND RACISM?

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? WHY DO WE HAVE BOTH OF THESE WITHIN US?
OUR CHURCHES ARE THEY HELPING?

XENOPHOBIA AND AIDS

What impact is it having on the survivors? How are raped survivors being helped.?
What access to treatment do they have? It will be nice to know that something is done, if anyone has an idea, lets share.