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The march against foreign nationals and immigrants planned for Friday 24th February 2017 should not be allowed by the authorities. This march, like the ones we have seen in Rosettenville and in Pretoria West, can only end in the spread of xenophobic attitudes and attacks in the country.

Other xenophobes in other parts of the country will see the march as a licence to openly speak their message of hatred against immigrants and even to take violent action against them.

As the United Front, the African Diaspora Forum, the New Trade Union Federation and affiliated and associated organisations and individuals, we are very concerned to learn that the state has sanctioned, endorsed and is even ready to supervise a march whose platform is openly xenophobic.

It is the duty of the state to protect people and their belongings. To allow this march would be a dereliction of duty by state authorities, namely, the President of the country, the Premier of Gauteng, the Mayor of Tshwane and other state and government offices and officials. If blood is spilled as a result of this march, it will be on their hands.

During apartheid we had the white racist regime organising black-on-black violence as a divide-and-rule strategy. In the new South Africa the Democratic Alliance mayor of Johannesburg, Councillor Herman Mashaba, made statements and took action that resulted in black people attacking other black people and leaving at least twenty houses burnt to ashes in Rosettenville.

Right-wing populism by capitalist politicians is increasing throughout the world as the global economic crisis begins to seriously bite. In the USA we saw the election of the racist, sexist and Islamophobic Donald Trump.

We respect the right to protest and freedom of expression. But these rights must bow down to the right to life, to dignity, and to live without fear of attacks and intimidation.

The lesson from the xenophobic attacks of 2008 where 62 people were killed is that allowing this march to proceed will be tantamount to enabling and encouraging xenophobic attitudes and behaviour to spread in South Africa. The march organisers have mobilised support for their march by openly advocating hatred, slander and violence against immigrants.

The plan by the Tshwane Municipality’s Office of the City Manager to supervise, monitor and marshall the march amounts, under the circumstances, to aiding and abetting the carrying out of an injustice against foreign nationals and immigrants.

We call on the government to prohibit this march of hatred and violence against our brothers and sisters whose only fault is that they were not born in this country. 

We call on progressive and peace-loving organisations and individuals to support our affidavit to the Tshwane Municipality demanding that this march be prohibited.

Strong measures must be taken to protect the lives and properties of immigrants on Friday 24th in Pretoria by the state and it's security agencies. This should happen whether the march is prohibited or not.

Issued by the United Front, African Diaspora Forum and the Steering Committee for a New Trade Union Federation.