Press statement: ‘Xenophobia harms the economy and kills people’

 
03 September 2019
To: all media
For immediate release
 
Mbabane: The Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO) and the Human Rights and Governance consortium have learnt with shock mounting violence against migrant foreign nationals in the neighbouring country, South Africa.
 
It is such a shame that the violence which has gotten out of hand has received less intervention from the South African administration, despite warnings to stage blockades on trucks over border gates coming to South Africa by some of its citizens.
 
These deadly attacks have reached places in major cities’ Central Business District (CBD), suburbs and other places within South Africa with destructions to property and looting.
 
We see these attacks as xenophobic. This is because victims are burnt alive, beaten to death and trucks torched to the ground suspected of taking South African jobs but none are of colour other than black and African immigrants from other countries in Africa. Eswatini are also not spared.
 
Blockades targeting truck drivers mean people will not put food on the table and their dependants, including children, suffer. We urge our government to reach out to the South African counterparts and resolve this impasse to avert negative effects of economic loss, loss of lives and harmed relations with other countries.
 
This is not the South Africa we know and does not show the spirit of Ubuntu. How quick are we to forget that Africa was in support during the time of apartheid for its people’s liberation? It goes against the African Union and the SADC Protocols on free movement of persons which talk of removing obstacles to free movement of capital and labour, goods and services and of the people.
 
We condemn these attacks and call on SADC member states to unequivocally do the same. The South African Government and all SADC Member States must guarantee the safety and respect for human rights of all foreign nationals present within their borders.
 
We therefore call upon the South African government to stop this madness by putting immediate interventions, including but not limited to deploying security forces to protect lives and property in places where these attacks are taking place, as a matter of principle to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights. The African Charter should compel State parties to provide the necessary environment within their borders for peaceful, secure and cohesive existence for both citizens and migrants.
 
About CANGO.
The Coordinating Assembly of Non-Governmental Organization (CANGO) is a coordinating body for affiliated Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) in Eswatini. CANGO was established initially as a network for NGOs working in Primary Health Care in 1983 and its mandate was broadened in 1987 to assume the national umbrella status in coordination of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) in the country.
 
CANGO facilitates coordination of the NGO sector, builds capacity of civil society, influence policy through advocacy, manages grants from multiple funding partners and maintains strategic partnerships with development partners and government.
As part of coordination, CANGO manages seven (7) Consortia, namely HIV/AIDS, Governance and Human Rights, Children, Gender, the Sexual Reproductive Health Task Team, Food Security and the Swaziland Elections Network through which specific program implementation and advocacy issues are addressed at regional and national levels.
 
CANGO structure includes: The Annual General Meeting which is the highest making policy body. It has a 11-member Governing Board; 9 elected and two appointed outside the sector, based on expertise. The Board is responsible for CANGO policy, strategy and oversight. The CANGO Secretariat has a 13-member team.
 
About the Human Rights and Governance Consortium
The Human Rights and Governance Consortium is an advocacy group of organisations and a substructure of CANGO which is its Secretariat focusing on a broad-spectrum of human rights and governance issues which have dominated the human rights agenda since it was established in 2000.
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Statement by
Nkosingiphile Myeni
Communications Officer
CANGO
2404 4721
7817 9868
communications@cango.org.sz
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