CoRMSA
*CoRMSA Press Release, 27 April 2012 **CoRMSA honours the struggle for freedom and democracy by calling for justice for all people residing in South Africa*
This Freedom Day, the Consortium of Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) is using the celebration of peace, unity and the preservation of human dignity to honour the sacrifices so many South Africans made to realize a non-racial, non-sexist democratic society.
As we celebrate the 18th annual Freedom Day, there is also an urgent need for South Africans to pay tribute to their struggle for freedom by reflecting on the many wars and injustices taking place throughout Africa and the rest of the world. From the Horn of Africa to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to our Southern African neighbours, Africans across the continent are engaged in their own struggles for justice.Just as many African nations demonstrated unwavering support with South Africa during its long walk to freedom, South Africa must now extend its solidarity to those facing economic and political turmoil who seek refuge on our shores.
This Freedom Day CoRMSA calls on the government to adopt more favourable policies which promote the human dignity of non-nationals and ensure their integration into the broader South African society. Since mid-April, thousands of refugees and asylum seekers across the country have been turned away from various Refugee Reception Offices (RROs) due to the shortage of security paper to print the permits on.Without these permits asylum seekers and refugees are left in a state of legal limbo that often has dire consequences for their ability to live in the country.
Thousands of asylum seekers and refugees have been forced to make multiple trips to the RROs and wait in the cold and rain while being beaten and chased away by guards and at the end have still been denied permits.As we celebrate Freedom Day, we need to promote a culture of non-violence and tolerance that condemns the way the security guards beat up people applying for asylum. We also remember those who are held in immigration detention for unjustly long periods of time and whose freedoms have been curtailed.
As we celebrate Freedom Day, we call upon the South African government and all peoples to fight corruption at various levels of our society. Recent reports from those seeking permits indicate that rampant corruption continues at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). To honour Freedom Day, the government must honour its international obligations by ensuring that the requisite systems are in place particularly at DHA to ensure timely access to services not only for citizens but for non-nationals alike.
"For non-nationals and South Africans alike, Freedom Day is a time to celebrate the great tradition of justice and democratic rights that so many have fought hard to win in this country", said Sicel'mpilo Shange-Buthane, Executive Director at CoRMSA.
The rights of non-nationals, and the rights of all vulnerable people, must be recognized as human rights in order for South Africa to be a truly free democracy.
* _For more information contact_: Sicel'mpilo Shange-Buthane Executive Director Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA) 011 403 7562/ 083 257 9015 * -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
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