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Refugee group slams Western Cape leaders

Nov 19, 2009 12:41 PM | By Sapa

The Western Cape government was more concerned about the media than the well-being of the De Doorns xenophobia victims, refugee rights group Passop claimed.


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CHASED AWAY: A Zimbabwean mother and child at the community hall in De Doorns, to which they were moved after an outbreak of xenophobia in the Western Cape town ý View the gallery at http:/multimedia.timeslive.co.za Picture: SHELLEY CHRISTIANS
CHASED AWAY: A Zimbabwean mother and child at the community hall in De Doorns, to which they were moved after an outbreak of xenophobia in the Western Cape town ý View the gallery at http:/multimedia.timeslive.co.za Picture: SHELLEY CHRISTIANS
quote No community forcefully displaced can possibly reintegrate successfully in such a short time without a proper process quote

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Premier Helen Zille and her MECs had not yet apologised to the refugees for the pain they had suffered, the organisation said in a statement.

"Provincial government... is concerned only for some miraculous reintegration in order to avoid further embarrassment," it said.

It said neither safety MEC Lennit Max - who had "kept busy addressing numerous media outlets" - nor Zille had visited "the site".

More than 3000 foreign nationals, mostly Zimbabweans, evacuated shack settlements in the De Doorns area on Tuesday following confrontations with local residents, who claimed they were robbing them of jobs on farms in the area. Most of them have been given emergency shelter in tents on a local sportsfield.

Passop (People Against Suffering, Suppression, Oppression and Poverty) said it was "alarmed and insulted" by reported comments by De Doorns mayor Charles Ntsomi that authorities were "considering" reintegrating the refugees into the community as soon as possible.

His comments were reported in the Cape Times today.

"No community forcefully displaced can possibly reintegrate successfully in such a short time without a proper process for healing, counselling, and negotiations," Passop said.

It also said the Freedom Front Plus's (FFP) "xenophobic statements" on the issue were an attempt to gain political mileage.

"The lack of sensitivity to the real issues displayed in these statements is disconcerting and unacceptable."

FFP home affairs spokesman Corné Mulder said in a statement yesterday that the xenophobia was "due to the government's actions" and poor border control.

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Comments

Nov 19 2009 12:48:09 PM
Kunta_Kinte
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No reintergartion needed, deportation finish and klaar.
Nov 19 2009 12:55:27 PM
Straight-talk
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Nov 19 2009 12:48:09 PM
Kunta_Kinte
No reintergartion needed, deportation finish and klaar.....................................................................................................

Yep, u are right, it's time for them to go back home....

Everytime when I watch TV, they complain that they are ill-treated here in SA & promise to go back home but they never go back...
Nov 19 2009 01:01:07 PM
Mommacyndi
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refugee rights group Passop

LOL
Passop ?
Nov 19 2009 01:06:57 PM
massy123
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They want an apology from Helen Zille, what did she do, commision them to start another series of xenophobic attacks, let them go back home!
Nov 19 2009 01:16:18 PM
pws80
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How many are here legally? Last I heard NO Zimbabweans can be accorded refugee status ANYWHERE in the world. Go home. You made your bed there, now sleep in it.

Zille owes you nothing, Max owes you nothing. They are there to ensure a better life for SOUTH AFRICANS. Geddit?
Nov 19 2009 01:17:29 PM
Realism Idealism
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These are human beings! They deserve to be treated with the same dignity that we South Africans expect to be treated with.

It is the very same Africans we let us into their countries during Apartheid and accomodated us and now we spit on them when they want our help for a change?

Sies!
Nov 19 2009 01:24:45 PM
Billo61
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They must stop demanding and get steppin!! Go back to Zim and demand Mugabe to step down, demand your rights to live!!

@Realism Idealism South Africans never flock to the african countries like these people are doing and never did they make demands. They need to stand up to their dictator presidents, assassination is an option.
Nov 19 2009 01:25:18 PM
Mommacyndi
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Nov 19 2009 01:17:29 PM
Realism Idealism

They also need to DO SOMETHING to sort their own countries out. Our people were not sitting in Angola or Zambia with their thumbs up their derriers, they were actively working to sort the mess out so they could go home.
Nov 19 2009 01:26:35 PM
pws80
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Nov 19 2009 01:17:29 PM
Realism Idealism

No more than 8000 were "accommodated" by all of the African countries combined, they were kept in separate camps quite often, and had no right of employment.

Now you expect us to accommodate millions, most here illegally, and give them our jobs when we have 45% unemployment, house them when we have shortages, provide medical assistance when we cannot afford ARV rollouts?

Bit of an expensive "payback" don't you think?

Nov 19 2009 01:26:47 PM
enie
user name
massy.

as a member of public i apologise to all zimbos.

i apologise that their leader has dementia brought on by syphilis.

i apologise that they would rather live in squaler miles away from home than in zim, where all infrastructuire has crumbled.

i apologise that they are taking our jobs

i apologise they are using our resources though those same resources cannot even look after us, never mind others.

i apologise that our borders are like a sieve, but we do have some new shiny jets and things.

i apologise that crime is on the up but realise that food on the table is needed.

sounds like REM - the apologist


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