June 29, 2010 – The Nelson Mandela Foundation is concerned about rumours surfacing that there are negative sentiments arising towards non-nationals in South Africa.
We have seen South Africans unite around a common support for African teams during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. We hope that this will lead to greater appreciation by South Africans of our place on this continent and that we will show greater solidarity with non-nationals. We have a common humanity to share and in many ways a common economic and social destiny and our Constitution guarantees the rights of all people in South Africa.
As Nelson Mandela once said:
“We cannot blame other people for our troubles. We are not victims to the influx of foreign people into South Africa. We must remember that it was mainly due to the aggressive and hostile policies of the apartheid regime that the economic development of our neighbours was undermined.”
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, through its Dialogue Programme, has since 2009, conducted a series of community conversations throughout South Africa to raise awareness about the rights of all people living in South Africa; to empower communities to find peaceful means of problem-solving and to ensure that community issues are brought to the attention of policy-makers.