Capetonians from different backgrounds have been called to join hands in a symbolic show of protest against xenophobia in South Africa. Following a picket at the St George’s Cathedral in the city centre last month, the Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum (WCRLF) is taking its anti-xenophobia campaign to the townships. Religious leaders and faith communities are urged to join the event, which will also commemorate Africa Day.

Called #StandingUnitedAgainstXeNOphobia, the march will be led by religious leaders across all faiths, and attended by community members, including African nationals, the Western Cape Premier Helen Zille and councillors from the City of Cape Town Mayoral office.

Marchers will gather in Khayelitsha at Lookout Hill Tourism Centre on Spine Road at 9am with a short program of prayers, after which the activists will walk the streets of Khayelitsha and end the march with some final messages of hope, prayers and music at the Salvation Church in Makhaza.

“WCRLF seeks to create a model and ethos that does not speak on behalf of, but rather with people in and through their pain and suffering. The symbolic presence and statements by religious leaders from all faiths endeavour to open up and ignite further conversation in communities,” said WCLRF director, Elizabeth Petersen.

“It should awaken people’s dignity and agency as they make meaningful contributions to the healing and transformation of our country. WCRLF’s work is to deliberately highlight human pain and in particular black pain; and to help facilitate a healing process which allows for spending more time in understanding the depth and multi-layered dimensions of the wounds in the quest to restore people to their full dignity.”

Petersen said there is a growing urgency to acknowledge and address the root causes of the evil of xenophobia related violence.

“As we celebrate the beauty in our diversity as Africans, we mourn the loss and devastation reeked by persistent oppressive systems and structure; and we pray for real change in every sphere of leadership and society.” VOC