20/04/2015: Joburg Migration Advisory Council intervenes to xenophobic attacks
The Joburg Migration Advisory Council (JMAC) held a meeting this morning to develop a response to the current wave of xenophobic attacks in the City.
The objectives of JMAC’s plan are:
- To develop a proactive mechanism to the threat of xenophobic attacks in the City through a collaborative response
- To develop an inclusive and participatory programme of action that is short term and long term in communities that also targets victims and perpetrators.
There are a number of interventions in place to help deal with violence induced by xenophobia. Cleveland remains the most affected area within the City of Johannesburg.
Law enforcement officials are on the ground to ensure perpetrators of what is essentially heinous crimes face the full might of the law.
The City’s political leadership, working closely with members of civil society, will this afternoon be visiting various affected people, including South Africans in hospitals.
What we’ve noticed is that affected migrants visit a number of camps in the evening and return to their homes in the morning. This, in our view, is influenced by fear. We have also noted that mostly women and children are affected.
We appeal to the majority of law-abiding South Africans to work closely with the police to isolate a few criminal elements behind this scourge.
We also wish to announce that the City of Johannesburg has partnered with Vodacom to provide a technological solution to be used to help migrants who are in distress as a result of the current wave of violent attacks.
Residents who witness the eruption of xenophobic violence in their areas are encouraged to dial *134*422#. This USSD code, which is available for free, is linked to our Joint Operations Centre (JOC) and its use will enable our law enforcement officials, supported by National Intelligence, to respond quickly to flair-ups. Those who make use of this service will then be asked to choose one of the following options:
• Report Violence
• Report looting
• Suspected xenophobia
• Report Other
Once an incident has been reported, the law enforcement officials will immediately know from where the call is made and deploy resources accordingly. This will be supported by an “Incident Map” on our screens at our JOC in Sandton, which will show where most attacks are happening.
This system was set-up and tested over the weekend, including this morning. It is user-friendly. Its success depends on co-operation with members of the community. It is their service. We appeal to them to use it responsibly.
Furthermore, Vodacom is adding a “Family and Friend Finder” option on the service feature.
People seeking their family members can dial *134*422# and select the “Family & Friend Finder” option. They will be asked to fill out their full names and their family member’s cellphone number.
The system then sends an SMS to the family member telling them that their family member (who will be named) wants to know if they are OK. It will then prompt them to reply with a Yes if they are ok, No if not or give them an option to ignore the message. The system will then route a “Yes” or “No” response to the sender.
In the event there is no response, Vodacom will then send a message that there is no response after 15 minutes.
In cases where a "not OK" response is received, then the system will send a message to the affected party asking for permission to locate them. If granted, the location will be sent to the searcher. In addition a once-off R10 airtime will be "donated" to the affected family member on their cellphone, regardless of what network they belong to.
We hope that through the use of this technology, we will help families in distress to locate each other and in that way alleviate much pain and suffering.
This pioneering technology will not only benefit the people of Johannesburg, but migrants and South Africans irrespective of where they are in the country.
As we know, Johannesburg is a cosmopolitan city that attracts people from different parts of the globe. For social cohesion to take root, all of us must join hands in promoting unity. To this end, the City will unveil the details of its comprehensive Africa Month programme which seeks to unite all Africans and promote social cohesion.
One of the highlights of the Africa Month programme is the Joburg Unite for Africa festival which will be staged at the FNB stadium on the 23 May 2015. We implore both migrants and South Africans to support it.
As I conclude, I want to re-iterate that law enforcement officials will continue monitoring the situation. We appeal for increased co-operation between residents of Johannesburg and our residents - understanding that we can only achieve more when we work together. Those who wish to act in a barbaric manner must be isolated and surrendered to the police. Let us all say NO TO XENOPHOBIA.
Nthatisi Modingoane
Deputy Director: Media Relations
City of Johannesburg
011 407 7354
0824679228
nthatisem@joburg.org.zaThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
