The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has expressed deep shock and sadness over the recent spate of violence directed against foreign nationals living in Alexandra, whilst warning that such attacks should not be seen as simple manifestations of xenophobia. "We urge residents of these communities to desist from violence," said the Council's General Secretary, Mr. Eddie Makue, "and we commit ourselves to working with public servants and all those living in the affected areas to promote human security and sustainable livelihoods for locals and immigrants alike."

"As people of faith, we strongly condemn the use violence and ntimidation, particularly insofar as it is targeted against strangers and uprooted people," Makue continued. "Christian scriptures, in common with those of the other great faiths, contain numerous passages asserting believers' responsibility to show hospitality to strangers and to protect society’s most vulnerable members, including aliens."

"This notion is also central to African concepts of our shared humanity and responsibility to each other as people, in particular the principle of ubuntu," he said. "As South Africans, we recognise that throughout the apartheid era many of our neighbours – who often had less in material terms than we did – welcomed those who had been uprooted by the political turmoil in our own land and shared with us what they had. By the grace of God, we are now in a position to do the same for those who have been displaced by contemporary social, political and economic upheavals."

Rev. Gift Moerane, Ecumenical Secretary of the SACC Gauteng, emphasised that the Council acknowledged the pain experienced by households that are struggling to make ends meet, particularly in the context of rapidly rising prices. "Often they feel that they alone are expected to bear the additional burden of accommodating people – both South Africans and foreign nationals – who have been displaced by larger forces over which they have no control," Rev. Moerane said.

"We stand with such communities in demanding justice, dignity, a fairer distribution of the wealth and resources that God has entrusted to our care, and a compassionate and caring society. At the same time, we urge South Africans not to fall into the easy trap of making foreign nationals or any other equally vulnerable group scapegoats for the difficult and complex problems that they are compelled to face," he added.

Although xenophobia is undoubtedly a cancer that has afflicted many communities in South Africa, Council leaders said that the recent events in Alexandra should not be simplistically attributed to fear and ignorance. "Much more complicated forces are at work," warned Rev. Andre Bartlett, chair of the SACC Gauteng's Provincial Executive Committee. "These include the frustration of popular expectations of profound social transformation and the global and regional factors that have suppressed broad-based development. Such forces have instead concentrated political and economic power in the hands of a tiny elite, unaccountable to democratic structures, whilst robbing the poor of the means to meet their most basic needs," Bartlett observed.

In addition, recent reports suggest that unscrupulous individuals in Alexandra and other communities are exploiting the conflict as a cloak to obscure their own opportunistic or criminal agendas.

The General Secretary said that the Council's 27 member denominations are committed to working with all those affected by these tragic events to address the underlying factors that have given rise to rootlessness, frustration and an undermining of respect for each other's inherent human dignity. "We believe that South Africa can and should do more to promote security, political stability and broad-based economic development in the region, as well as to ensure a more equitable sharing of resources and delivery of services in our own nation," Makue said.

Yesterday, a delegation of church leaders from the SACC Gauteng paid a pastoral visit to Alexandra and met with police and community officials. A crisis committee of local church leaders was established that will liaise with Council structures on an ongoing basis. The leaders pledged to continue working with members of the community who are seeking to build peace, security and justice for all South African residents, regardless of their national origins.

For more information contact: Mr. Eddie Makue, General Secretary (082 853 8781)