Xenophobia update
Posted by Vicki Scholtz | 26 May, 2008A working group has been established to coordinate the University's response. Communications will be part of the mandate. For now, please note the following:
- Donations needed: Warm clothing, baby goods (nappies, nappy cream, infant feeding formula), toiletries (soap, sanitary towels), non-perishable food (not just baked beans! but bearing in mind limited cooking facilities), blankets and mattresses - these can be dropped off at SHAWCO (5th floor Steve Biko Buildling, Upper Campus, or the Medical School office, or at any residence. Off Campus, through the Treatment Action Campaign, or Rondebosch United Church (Belmont Road).
- Contact numbers:
- transport assistance: John Critien, 082-828-4972
- student and staff needing assistance: Moonira Khan, 082-887-3926
- SHAWCO contact: Jonathan Hoffenberg, 084-626-1270
- transport assistance: John Critien, 082-828-4972
There are a number of other initiatives underway, such as establishing a register of staff who can provide emergency accommodation for staff and students who may be displaced by the violence, the issuing of statements beyond simple expressions of outrage, the harnessing of analytic, intellectual and professional skills residing in the University community and the mobilisation of networks to bring political pressure to bear. In addition, students and staff are asked to raise issues of xenophobia among peers and in other contexts where challenges to attitude and practice can be effected.
Fuller information, and updates, will be provided shortly.
Edit: There will be a mass meeting at the Mowbray Town Hall, Main Road, Mowbray, at 13h00 on Monday 26 May 2008 on the issue.
This morning's open meeting of the Crisis Response Task Team was attended by about 200 people, including representatives from a range of organizations. We have a greed on a smaller steering group, provisionally as follows:
Martin Hall: UCT Executive (coordinator)
Jonathan Hoffenberg: SHAWCO
Fatima Khan: UCT Law Clinic
Frank Molteno: Health Sciences
John Tunstall: Properties and Servives
SRC Executive (nominees to be advised)
Moonira Khan (Student Affairs)
Dineo Noganta (Communications)
Margie Tainton (Staff Wellness)
Carol Ojwang (IAPO)
Grand Willis (Student Housing)
Roger Arendse, Academics' Association
UCT Employees Union (nominee to be advised).
Additional nominations are welcome. This group will coordinate and develop UCT's response on a day-by-day basis.
There was a clear view from the meeting that we need to expand communication, particularly to the student sector. The SRC will look at this, and we will also set up a Vula site for this purpose.
We received updates on the issue of the safe sites, proposed "camps" and the need for clarity before information on refugee legal status and employment details is collected. We will wait for advice from the Law Faculty and Law Clinic on this issue. We are also awaiting the outcome of today's meeting with Provincial Health so that we can coordinate volunteer work and the SHAWCO Health interventions with other initiatives.
It was stressed that we must use our influence as an organization to accelerate recognition that a sustainable response is the primary responsibility of government.
Specific steps from the meeting include:
* setting up a register of those who in the UCT community can accommodate staff and students who feel unsafe in the places where they currently live
* need to extend volunteers to include staff and students in Social Work, Psychology and trauma counseling
* in particular, the need to move as quickly as possible from our "first response" position to an approach that uses the expertise of the university to develop informed human rights, analytical and public policy positions. It was stressed that xenophobia must be seen as symptomatic of underlying issues and particularly the consequences of unemployment and economic and social marginalization
We will be setting up the smaller steering group, and following up on the specific outcomes of this morning's meeting, through the day and the early part of this week.
In the meanwhile, the UCT Law Clinic is continuing to provide direct assistance to refugees who are coming to their offices on campus, and is also facilitating meetings with the representative of the UN High Commission for Refugees (Mr Gupta) who is now with us in Cape Town.
Martin Hall
Posted by RSS Feed 26 May 2008, 11:39Deputy Vice Chancellor
www.hall.uct.ac.za
+27(0)21-6504002 (phone)
+27(0)21-6505099 (fax)
EMERGENCY CONTACTS (CAPE TOWN)
For Jo’burg: Contact the Central Methodist Mission on 011 333 5926.
YABONGA
2 Main Rd, Wynberg, just in front of Maynard Mall, Tel 021 761 2940 will be bringing clothes to Killarney race course. If you can drop something there, please do it.
SHADE
111 Chamberlain St, Woodstock, tel: 021 447 5554 Phil 072 214 6818 will also gather donations.
BELLVILLE AREA:
If you want to offer any assistance or even visiting, the best person to contact is Rev Dave, Baptist church, 0833 085 995. Or Rev Newton, Methodist, 084 620 4523 Or Bellville methodist church office Vanessa (021) 946 2277 . Or Nomafrench Mbomba, UWC School of Nursing, 0722 656 084, office ext (021) 959-3923/ 2271.
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS (MSF)
Contact MSF (Doctors without borders) on 082 294 1406 or 021 364 5490 immediately if troubles start, there is a SAPS emergency team ready to intervene.
RONDEBOSCH UNITED CHURCH, BELMONT RD, RONDEBOSCH
Collection of clothing, blankets & non-perishable items: In case of emergency accommodation the Rondebosch United Church can be contacted on 082 485 9874.
UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE
24 hour assistance to students and staff: 021 959 2564 or 021 959 2239 or 021 959 3777.
UWC will support the structures created by the Province and City to support people who were displaced during the recent attacks. The Vice-Chancellor’s Office will circulate information later today (Monday 26 May) about what is required, and how we will collect and forward supplies to the relevant agencies.
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
24 hour assistance to staff and students: call 082-887-3926.
Collection of clothing, blankets, food (warm items & non-perishable items) and material assistance from the university community: SHAWCO offices, Steve Biko Building (Level 5) Upper Campus.
Track and unite families: UCT is liaising with SAPS and a number of other organizations. We may need to help track down where people are currently housed, since families have become separated and are in different temporary refuges. There is a team of staff and student volunteers on standby to get out to the refugee centres and help with this if we are asked to. Call 082-498-3737 if you want to help.
Transport to temporary places of safety: The Jammie Shuttle fleet is available to help other organizations with transport from collection points to refugee centres and to temporary places of safety made available by churches, mosques and other organizations. UCT has a partnership with SAPS Rondebosch and any displaced families needing to get to a place of safety are advised to go to Rondebosch police station where they will be helped. [The Claremont & Rondebosch police stations are jointly using a "red number" that will be available to the public on a 24/7 basis: 082 302 4108.]
Emergency holding sites: UCT has identified several emergency holding sites on campus in case the capacity of civil society organizations currently at the forefront of the response is exceeded.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Office will announce further initiatives when and if they are needed.
Posted by RSS Feed 26 May 2008, 12:35There are several groups on Facebook spreading information and coordinating relief efforts. Among these are:
Support for victims of xenophobia: How to Help:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13915904813
End Xenophobic Violence in South Africa:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13352359930
Against Xenophobia in South Africa:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15440183574
South Africans against Xenophobia, Racism and Tribalism:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12840304276
South Africans United Against Xenophobia:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13340729443
I'm a South African Against Xenophobia:
Posted by RSS Feed 26 May 2008, 13:19http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19031568687
The Crisis response task team has set up a Vula sit to facilitate
communication with the University Community. The site is available to
all members of the university at the following url:
https://vula.uct.ac.za/portal/site/9f9be7fb-bf4c-4f03-91fa-7287f9585018
You can add the site to you Vula tabs by loging in to Vula, and going to
Posted by RSS Feed 26 May 2008, 16:44Membership->Joinable sites and joining the Refugee Crisis site.
PANSA to present benefit concert in aid of victims of xenophobic violence in Cape Town.
'We All Benefit' concert to be presented at the Baxter Theatre on Sunday 1st June
South Africa has been plagued in the last weeks by gruesome attacks, and so many people are asking what can be done. In light of this, PANSA, The Performing Arts Network of South Africa, will bring together artists from all over Africa to make themselves heard on Sunday 1 June at 15h00 in the 'We All Benefit' concert at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town, that will celebrate the rich diversity of our continent, and prove that whilst there may be hate in this country, there is still plenty of love to go around.
Not only will the money raised go towards helping victims of xenophobic violence, but PANSA also believes that coming together at a time like this - gathering as a community - has it's own special power.
The 'We All Benefit' performance will be a showcase of well-known artists, directed by Luke Ellenbogen and MC'd by Mark Elderkin and Faniswa Yisa. With music and laughter PANSA will try to address what is happening in our country, and try to turn this into an opportunity for hope.
Cash donations will be collected at the event if people are able to give over and above the ticket price. The proceeds will be split between the Red Cross Emergency Fund, and the Bonne Esperance refugee shelter. The Red Cross has also requested that people bring old toys, as children left homeless during this time have been particularly traumatised by the attacks. Additional items most needed are blankets, toiletries and non-perishable foods to assist the displaced families. The collection of all donations on the evening will be co-ordinated at the theatre by the Red Cross team.
PANSA would like to thank the Baxter Theatre, and the many artists so freely and warmly giving their support in order to make the 'We All Benefit' show possible.
Tickets cost R50 and will be available from Computicket later this week.
For more information contact Erica Glyn-Jones on 083 567 8989 / erica@glyn-jones.net or Karen Jeynes on 083 946 8526 / pansaresearch@gmail.com. To join PANSA, please visit www.pansa.org.za for more info.
MORE ABOUT PANSA:
The Performing Arts Network of South Africa, ie PANSA, is a national network of individuals, NGO's, service providers and mainstream institutions that are engaged in the practice or support of the performing arts (all forms of dance, music, opera, musical theatre and theatre). Read more on www.pansa.org.za
PANSA Team
Posted by RSS Feed 27 May 2008, 11:43Now that we have a continuing and focused engagement with the current crisis through the work of SHAWCO, SHAWCO Health and the Health Sciences Faculty, and the UCT Law Clinic and the Law Faculty, we will be moving beyond our "first response" and looking to the urgent and continuing issues of helping with understanding causes and pushing for effective public policy and more appropriate state responses to human rights issues. Now that much more information is available and circulating, there is less need for these leadership briefings; I will though continue to brief this wider list as urgent and UCT-specific issues arise.
One such issue is the growing need for a database of UCT staff and students who can accommodate fellow UCT staff and students in emergency need. We have a small but growing number of UCT staff and students who need to move from where they are currently living. We have been able to place some in the residence system but we will soon exhaust this capacity. As indicated previously, the contact person for this project is Margie Tainton: Work: 021 650 3028, Home: 021 531 9117 Cell: 084 582 6461. email is margie.tainton@uct.ac.za.
We benefitted earlier today from a comprehensive briefing from Mr Arvin Gupta, Senior Protection Officer for the UN High Commission for Refugees, who has been working closely with the UCT Law Clinic. Mr Gupta has now had the opportunity of visiting a number of holding sites, meeting with provincial and city officials (including the Mayor) and meeting with leaders of refugee communities. He is concerned about the apparent lack of common purpose on the part of local and provincial government and, in particular, about the current registration process at the "camps" where information is being collected in apparent contravention of legal authority. This issue is being actively pursued by the UCT Law Clinic with the assistance of the Cape Bar Association.There is a clear need to protect the rights of refugees and displaced foreign nationals in terms of the immigration legislation and the Refugees Act of 1998 which, among other provisions, entitles a refugee to an appropriate identity document, full legal protection and the right to stay in South Africa.
In general terms, there is a strong consensus that neither repatriation nor resettlement are viable or appropriate solutions to this crisis (and would probably be unconstitutional in many cases). The challenge will be to move rapidly to re-integrate those who have been displaced, requiring in turn a fully-informed analysis of the circumstances that have caused the crisis and appropriate public policy and government-directed interventions. This was a strong view expressed at the Crisis Response Task Team meeting yesterday morning, and needs to be the focus of UCT's next phase of engagement, drawing on the considerable expertise in different parts of the university.
Martin Hall
Posted by RSS Feed 27 May 2008, 16:24Deputy Vice Chancellor
www.hall.uct.ac.za
+27(0)21-6504002 (phone)
+27(0)21-6505099 (fax)