Calls for African unity and an end to xenophobia took centre stage at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Westville Campus on Friday, 14 August, as the South Africa Palestine Movement (SAPM) held a protest against xenophobia and Afrophobia.
The protest took place as President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a public lecture at the campus ahead of the 46th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Durban.
The lecture, held under the theme “Translating SADC Vision 2050 into Action: Pathways towards Solidarity, Equality and Shared Prosperity”, focused on strengthening regional integration and creating a more prosperous and united SADC region.
Against that backdrop, SAPM used the protest to call for greater protection of African migrants and refugees, saying Africa could not speak about regional integration while Africans were being treated as “foreigners, enemies or criminals” because of their nationality.
The movement called on Ramaphosa and other SADC leaders to listen to ordinary people demanding a region built on Ubuntu, equality and human dignity.
“An injury to one African was an injury to all Africans,” SAPM said.
The organisation also called on SADC leaders to address unemployment, poverty and inequality without turning vulnerable African communities against one another.
SAPM said its opposition to xenophobia was rooted in the same principle behind its solidarity with the Palestinian people – that human dignity was universal.
Students, workers, civil society organisations, faith communities and progressive organisations were urged to stand together peacefully against xenophobia.
“Xenophobia has no place in the Africa we want,” the movement said.
The protest at UKZN Westville Campus was held under the hashtags #NoToXenophobia and #YesToAfricanUnity, with SAPM also reiterating its calls for African unity, solidarity with oppressed people and a free Palestine.
