Labour movement denounces South Africa xenophobic violence

Accra, May 26, GNA - An Africa labour movement has condemned widespread xenophobic violence against migrants in South Africa and urged President Thabo Mbeki "to take immediate and effective action" against such acts.

The Nairobi-based African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) in a letter to President Mbeki said it was outraged that the lives and properties of tens of thousands of innocent migrant workers and their families were subject to hatred and violent attacks.

"The loss of increasing number of innocent lives, the hundreds of severely wounded and thousands of displaced people and the shock and traumatic effects on all their relatives and others have caused a deep social crisis among the predominantly urban population of South Africa," the letter signed by Mr Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, General Secretary said. The letter obtained by the GNA in Accra said all efforts were needed to maintain peace in South Africa and to create an enabling environment for a real social integration of migrant workers in the South African communities.

ITUC-Africa said, it was aware of the underlying factors which had caused deep frustrations, especially among the younger part of the South African working population.

"Lack of employment, lack of income, poor housing facilities, insufficient education and the apparent inability of the government to successfully tackle these problems have caused anger and despair among these deprived groups of the South African working population. "The absence of a future with a decent life for South Africa's younger generations has now turned against migrant workers, the most vulnerable groups in the South African labour force." The letter told President Mbeki that his government was "the first to be responsible and the first to be blamed" for these unprecedented outbursts of xenophobic and anti-immigrant feelings. ITUC-Africa said it agreed that migrant work could neither be separated from the process of African economic integration nor from the process of globalization.

"We recognize that migrant work as a feature of open economies comes with challenges and difficulties for many countries, not only for South Africa but for many countries in all regions of the world. It requires well thought out and clear policies to effectively integrate migrant workers in the South African communities." "It requires the application of the labour laws to all workers to stamp out shameless exploitation.

"It requires the maintenance of the rule of law to protect the lives and properties of all. It requires social justice and peaceful and decent lives for all," it said. The labour movement asked President Mbeki to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the violent attacks. The letter reminded South Africans that, during the dark era of apartheid, workers across Africa, united in the predecessor organisations of ITUC-Africa, and tirelessly contributed to the defeat of the apartheid system. "African workers' solidarity strengthened South African workers to take their future in their own hands and to make their country a welcome and safe place to live." The labour movement therefore, demanded President Mbeki's "immediate and effective action to end the violence and to take all necessary measures to ensure that this xenophobia will no longer pollute the social fabric of your beloved country". Dozens of foreign workers have been killed and their businesses destroyed by a wave of xenophobic attacks against them. 26 May 08

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