Malawi Civil Society Led Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM) Taskforce

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country civil society under the banner on Tuesday accused South Africa President Cyril Rhamaphosa who called for a clamp down on what he termed as ‘illegal’ settlers and entrepreneurs!

President Rhamaphosa remarks is what has propelled and resurgence of xenophobic attacks on Black Immigrants to South Africa on grounds that they are illegally established.

MaBLEM Task-force stresses that South Africa cannot win in this battle because we are mightier than South Africans put together.

Addressing the news conference in the capital Lilongwe MaBLEM Task-force chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba therefore demanded the South African President and government  to issue a public apology and retract the remarks made by its President while calling on citizens to stop the attacks on foreigners.

Below is the full statement;

JOINT CIVILC SOCIETY STATEMENT ON XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS IN SOUTH AFRICA

We members of the Malawi civil Society organisations as led by the Malawi Black Economic Empowerment Movement would like to register our gravest concerns and out rightly condemn the resurgence of xenophobic attacks on Black Immigrants to South Africa on grounds that they are illegally established.

We make this call bearing in mind that such occurrences have been condemned in the past and though they went down, we are saddened that the current developments have been propelled by South African President Cyril Rhamaphosa who called for a clamp down on what he termed as ‘illegal’ settlers and entrepreneurs!

Without repeating the condemnations we have made previously, we would like to send a strong message to all SADC Heads of Governments to protect citizens in this region by rising up to the occasion to condemn and criticise their fellow leader for his unprofessional, unacceptable and careless utterances to come from a Leader.

Diplomacy demands that matters of public outcry, in particular where the marginalised were to be subjected to attacks need to be uttered with great care and sensitivity and refrain from uttering the same in the public.

The mere fact that the utterances were said by the President had a strong appeal to South Africans to vent their anger on the foreigners hence as Malawian CSO’s we would like to hold Cyril Rhamaphosa personally accountable for the Deaths, Injury and loss of property of Africans who have been affected by these recent attacks.

As Malawian CSO’s we are calling on fellow CSO’s, Trade Unionists, Religious community and all citizens in SADC and Africa as whole, to rise up against Xenophobia.

We would like to stress that South Africa cannot win in this battle because we are mightier than South Africans put together.

We however would not want to indulge in their barbaric route to express our displeasure. We are going to engage in non violent means to redeem our region of these barbaric acts which are being motivated by criminal intent, nothing else.

It’s sad that South African President would want to promote people with violent minds and agenda to cause havoc to the Rainbow nation.

As CSO’s we have informed the South African High Commissioner to Malawi and the Malawi Government that we need to sit down and analyse the developments before they can escalate into regional upheavals whose results won’t be good for all of us.

We quite well understand that they may be beyond High Commissioners mandate, but the mere fact that her office is in the country renders it the immediate contact point with Government of South Africa.

As CSO’s we have interfaced with the Commissioner on numerous others issues with a view to help create an enabling environment for Malawians staying and travelling to RSA.

We are also aware that the International organisation for Migration has partnered with Malawi Government and SAHC to raise awareness to Malawians in various communities on how Malawians can ably travel and stay  in South Africa- to this effect we are convinced we have Malawians with valid papers who are in South Africa who deserve protection and support by both our governments to earn a living.

As Malawian CSO’s therefore, we would like to make the following further appeals if we are to resolve these issues;

1. The SADC Heads of Government meeting should convene an emergency session to address the latest developments

2. The South African President and Government should issue a public apology and retract the remarks made by its President while calling on citizens to stop the attacks on foreigners

3. Bilateral talks between Malawi and South Africa as well as SADC member states should undertake a programme to document and appropriately assist all migrants who have overstayed in South Africa by way of providing them with resident status so as to enable them stay freely in south Africa

4. Malawi Government should roll out a Programme to document all its citizens in RSA and beyond for purposes of providing them with protection when in problems

5. South African Government should finance all Malawians who are interested in returning to Malawi and may have lost their Identities for a smooth movement back home.

As CSO’s we declare that we shall commence legal proceedings against the South African Government and its President should the situation not come down or should they fail to take ownership of the problem at hand. South Africans need to be reminded that under international instruments ratified by South Africa on free movement of people and economic rights, every Malawian or person has the right to settle anyplace in the world provided they follow proper procedures.

Where the situation is challenging, the state has the duty to enforce these rights through its armed forces e.t.c as such citizens have no right whatsoever to take the law in their own hands. Let the State machinery professionally handle matters of law as citizens respect the rights of foreign Nationals.

We end by appealing to all Malawians not to partake in any acts of retribution, vengeance or violence against any South African national or its investments in the country until a time we may advice otherwise should the South African Government handle this matter with kid’s groves.

Africa belongs to all of us and South Africa belongs to South African and all who live in it!! STOP XENOPHOBIA!!!

Signed by Robert James Mkwezalamba. MaBLEM Task-force chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba