Immigrants to march to Union Buildings

Spokesperson for the Congolese community in SA‚ Prince Mpinda‚ speaking on behalf of the Coalition of Civics Against Xenophobia‚ says it was decided at a meeting held on Saturday to stage a march to the Union Buildings.

He said their plan was to march on Tuesday but that the metro police had advised them to find another date as on that day there was an approved march to protest against a lack of electricity.

"We are putting together a memorandum that talks on the issues of unemployment and crime that they believe are the real reasons behind the anti-immigrant sentiments‚" Mpinda said.

• Pretoria calm after riotsCalm has returned to the streets of Pretoria following a chaotic march against immigrants on Friday. 

He said the recent spate of anti-immigrant riots were more than just xenophobia‚ but bigger issues affecting communities.

“This is bigger than just xenophobia. People are frustrated with government and now they are taking out their anger on immigrants. These are the issues that we‚ together with SA communities‚ need to tackle together‚” Mpinda said.

• Riot gear, machetes, drugs and loathing as xenophobic tension grips PretoriaWith battle lines drawn‚ police averted an ugly war between armed South Africans and immigrants on the streets of the country's administrative capital on Friday. 

He said they were meeting the station commander of Pretoria West police on Monday for an update on the arrests and what will happen to those who have been arrested.

As life returns to normal in Pretoria following anti-immigrants riots on Friday‚ immigrants are now working on a dialogue with their local counterparts for a long-term solution.

• Outrage over school letter threatening to bar pupils with foreign parentsA letter informing "all foreign parents" that their children would not be allowed onto school premises on Monday if they could not prove their documentation was in order‚ has sparked fury after being circulated on social media. 

Scores of immigrants remain displaced‚ some accommodated by friends and relatives in Laudium‚ Pretoria West and the Pretoria city centre. He said others had no other choice but to book into hotels and guest houses after they were forced to flee the townships.

The longer their shops remain closed‚ the more dire the financial implications. This was why the immigrants are praying and working for a quick solution to the growing tensions.

Chairperson of the Somali Community in SA‚ Dr Muhamed Abdulah‚ said those booked into hotels and guest houses are beginning to feel the financial pinch as they now do not have any income.

“It will deplete all their reserves and [they will] end up starving if the situation remains tense and they are unable to open their businesses‚” he said.

Abdulah said this was why the immigrants have resolved to join Community Policing Forums in their respective host communities to root out criminal elements.

Abdulah said what now needs to happen is an open dialogue and debate around issues of crime‚ drugs and prostitution affecting communities‚ so that these can be resolved working together.

“Government needs to facilitate this process. We need to sit together‚ discuss these issues and work together to fight against crime and not fight against each other‚” Abdulah said.

He said the immigrant-owned shops remained closed as the owners were still assessing the situation‚ ensuring that it was safe to go back.

-TMG Digital/TimesLIVE