Speak out for change
IT IS important that communities engage with one another about the issues they face.
This is the message the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) wanted to pass on at their Dialogue for Change discussions at a Johannesburg hotel this week.
The NMF hosted experts and community members to speak about the outbreak of xenophobic violence.
The foundation's chief executive, Achmat Dangor, said: "We brought into one room people with a lot of expertise to take this message to communities."
He said he remembered that in the old days there used to be a vibrant conversation between people in Soweto. And that was the aim of the Dialogue for Change discussions.
Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said "from a security point of view, xenophobic attacks are not spontaneous, they are generated".
He said there were criminals living in Sandton who were not attacked during the violence against migrants.
Director of Media Monitoring Africa William Bird spoke on the key challenges that faced the media on the portrayal of xenophobic violence.
He said the media perpetuated the idea that life was cheap in Africa.
He said it was important for the community to engage with the media on things that they did not like about its reporting.
South African National Editors Forum chairperson Mondli Makhanya said the role of the media was central to helping South African society recognise that the dynamics of the country had changed since 1994.
He said the media should inform people about treating outsiders with suspicion just because they spoke and behaved differently from us.
Mandela foundation opposes xenophobia
Speak out for change
IT IS important that communities engage with one another about the issues they face.
This is the message the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) wanted to pass on at their Dialogue for Change discussions at a Johannesburg hotel this week.
The NMF hosted experts and community members to speak about the outbreak of xenophobic violence.
The foundation's chief executive, Achmat Dangor, said: "We brought into one room people with a lot of expertise to take this message to communities."
He said he remembered that in the old days there used to be a vibrant conversation between people in Soweto. And that was the aim of the Dialogue for Change discussions.
Deputy Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said "from a security point of view, xenophobic attacks are not spontaneous, they are generated".
He said there were criminals living in Sandton who were not attacked during the violence against migrants.
Director of Media Monitoring Africa William Bird spoke on the key challenges that faced the media on the portrayal of xenophobic violence.
He said the media perpetuated the idea that life was cheap in Africa.
He said it was important for the community to engage with the media on things that they did not like about its reporting.
South African National Editors Forum chairperson Mondli Makhanya said the role of the media was central to helping South African society recognise that the dynamics of the country had changed since 1994.
He said the media should inform people about treating outsiders with suspicion just because they spoke and behaved differently from us.