Mapula Sibanda
ALIENS must go, irrespective of their race. Such was the sentiment expressed by about 100 people gathered under the trees of Yeoville Park last Sunday.
They came from Yeoville, Berea, Hillbrow and Joubert Park to the meeting, advertised as “Concerned residents against illegal immigrants” and organised by some local members of the South African Council of Hawkers and Informal Businesses (Sachib).
They gathered closely around self-appointed chairman for the day, Sachib’s Mthuthuzeli Madalani, eager to voice their grievances.
“We are not here because we have a disease called xenophobia, comrades,” Madalani declaimed with gusto. “We are here to eliminate opportunists and greedy people who waited for us to kick the white government from power to move in for the fruits. These are the sort of people who sit on the fence, always waiting to claim victory with the winning side.”
“Maba hambe (They must go),” the crowd responded. Emotions ran high as people raised their hands to speak, sometimes all talking at once. “Let’s ship them back to where they came from,” someone yelled from the back. The suggestion was met with cries of assent.
The residents went on to complain of the rocketing rate of crime, overpopulation and the promotion of cheap labour by foreigners.
The discussion was interrupted by a Sachib member. “Sorry comrades, I have reason to believe there are a few aliens among us listening,” he said aggressively. “We do not want to resort to violence, so please leave this meeting because you know you are not wanted here.”
The threat ignited the crowd, which began to bay for the intruders’ blood. But the angry demands to “bring the spies out” died down when the witch-hunt failed to unearth any eavesdroppers.
The hostility found an outlet some time later, when a few Bible-carrying blacks from other African countries were sneered at by the crowd as they passed by on their way to a church service in the local recreation centre. Songs of praise could be heard in the background as the crowd began to complain about the worshippers.
“Why is our meeting outside while the illegals hold their church service comfortably inside?” residents asked. “We know this story already; they must not try to take our land while they hide behind the Bible.”
Coli Ogle, another organiser from Sachib, urged the residents to mobilise so that “their voice could become loud enough to be heard”. He advised them to take a lead in the struggle against the aliens. He argued that South Africa could not be expected to help those African states which housed exiles without first “getting our house in order. And this is not about African exiles only — the European illegals must also go,” he said.
“These people are sabotaging the reconstruction and development programme, as it is going to cost us almost 10 percent of RDP money to send them back.”
The gathering proposed to draft a petition seeking, inter alia, permission from the authorities to enable volunteers to accompany patrol vans rounding up aliens. It was agreed that a second meeting would be held in two weeks’ time.
Posters on the walls of the nearby recreation centre appeared to mock the residents’ mission. “Immigrants welcome. No to immigration control,” shouted the bold black-and-white lettering on the Socialist Workers’ Party poster. And a more subdued off-yellow poster pleaded to people to “Rock for Rwanda” for a donation of R10.