Some displaced foreigners staying at Soetwater near Kommetjie in the Western Cape say it could take up to 30 years for it to be safe for them to live in the areas they fled from because they fear locals' hatred is still too strong.
Representatives of Somalians, Ethiopians, Rwandans, Zimbabweans, Kenyans, Tanzanians, Burundians and people from the Democratic Republic of Congo gathered in Sun Valley on Wednesday.
Sergebami Samba-Bamikani, representing refugees from Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya, said the idea of re-integrating foreigners into informal settlements was good but too soon.
"We don't see it as a practical thing; there's no way it will work," he said. "Maybe in 30 years it will work. Maybe it will work for the children of our children but not for us.
"Re-integration is impossible because it will cause us to die."
Israel Abate, representing the Ethiopians at Soetwater, said they no longer trusted South Africans.
"It's not the first time South Africans have mistreated our brothers and sisters from other countries," Abate said. "We are forced off buses and trains. There is discrimination and hatred.
"We've lost trust, friendship and love for South Africa and South Africans. We've even lost the courage to start afresh."
Somalian Fatiema Hosma said she would rather go back to her home country than "die like a dog" in Du Noon, where she had lived.
"We don't want to struggle any more. We don't want people to hurt each other like this but (the locals) say they are going to finish us. We don't accept that the government should send us back into our locations," she said.
Western Cape provincial premier Ebrahim Rasool said on Wednesday there were "many agendas" at work among displaced people. He appealed to people "to remain calm, reasonable and co-operative".
"We are encouraged by the progress in several communities across the province where re-integration has happened," he said. "We appeal to our communities and to foreigners who have been displaced to work together with the province's mediators so re-integration can take place." - Cape Times
Representatives of Somalians, Ethiopians, Rwandans, Zimbabweans, Kenyans, Tanzanians, Burundians and people from the Democratic Republic of Congo gathered in Sun Valley on Wednesday.
Sergebami Samba-Bamikani, representing refugees from Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya, said the idea of re-integrating foreigners into informal settlements was good but too soon.
| 'Maybe it will work for the children of our children' |
"Re-integration is impossible because it will cause us to die."
Israel Abate, representing the Ethiopians at Soetwater, said they no longer trusted South Africans.
"It's not the first time South Africans have mistreated our brothers and sisters from other countries," Abate said. "We are forced off buses and trains. There is discrimination and hatred.
"We've lost trust, friendship and love for South Africa and South Africans. We've even lost the courage to start afresh."
| 'There is discrimination and hatred' |
"We don't want to struggle any more. We don't want people to hurt each other like this but (the locals) say they are going to finish us. We don't accept that the government should send us back into our locations," she said.
Western Cape provincial premier Ebrahim Rasool said on Wednesday there were "many agendas" at work among displaced people. He appealed to people "to remain calm, reasonable and co-operative".
"We are encouraged by the progress in several communities across the province where re-integration has happened," he said. "We appeal to our communities and to foreigners who have been displaced to work together with the province's mediators so re-integration can take place." - Cape Times
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