Victor Mecoamere

If South Africans were to unite they could turn the current situation around. All we have to do is to go back to the cornerstone of Africa, botho, ubuntu or, simply put, humaneness.

So said Desmond Dube, entertainer and chief organiser of the inaugural Million Man March campaign in Pretoria, Tshwane, on June 10.

About ubuntu Dube says: "It means coexistence, empathy and a capacity for doing good for and with others.

"This mass campaign addresses all sorts of crimes, primarily translating crime dialogues into action, (pinpointing) crime's causal sources and (highlighting and doing something about its) severity."

Sowetan, SABC2 and Metro FM are lending media and publicity support.

For Sowetan, the campaign is an ideal extension of the newspaper's and the Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundation's evolving, multifaceted anti-crime strategy.

Here are some of the queries Dube has been fielding on the Million Man march website.

lWhy he initiated the Million Man March: "l personally have buried three people l love or who are close to me in the past few months, but it's also about passion and the patriotism we have about our country.

Crime has affected a lot of people and a lot of the good things that our government has done."

lWhat he hopes the campaign will achieve: "What other marchers around the world have achieved, a result, a million people making statement that no one can ignore."

lWhat is done to encourage people to participate in the march: "We are not going to encourage anyone to do something they don't feel like doing, but we are going to run an awareness campaign on TV, radio and the print media..."

lVisit www.sowetan.co.za; and for more on the march or to pledge support, visit www.millionmanmarch.co.za