Angolan Cessation – historical background and current thoughts

“We want to stay,” Angolan refugees tell the South African government.

In the poem Chimurenga/Freedom the man dubbed “The People`s Poet”, Mzwakhe
Mbuli,states,”Agostino Neto, the late poet-president, used both the pen and
the machine to achieve the liberation of Angola.”This is not only a
statement reflecting a connection between two poets, but also one which
reflects of a time of deep ties between two peoples.

Following independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola’s MPLA government gave
refuge to South Africa’s liberation movements, the ANC and the PAC, to use
its territory as a base to wage a guerilla-style warfare against South
Africa’s apartheid government. The ANC`s Umkhonto we Sizwe(MK) and the PAC
Azanian People’s Liberation Army(APLA), like they had done in a number of
other Southern African states, set up camps in Angola where they could train
young recruits pouring out of South Africa into guerrillas to go back and
fight the apartheid state through bombings, assassinations and other
guerrilla-style tactics. In an effort to annul the existence of these
training camps the Nationalist-party government sent the South African
Defence Force(SADF),on cross-border raids into Angola to obliterate the
camps and any sign of MK and APLA activity if found.

The SADF’s continued raids into Angola in the mid-eighties caused a lot of
antagonism between the MPLA government and Pretoria. These highly unwelcome
invasions of Angolan territory by the SADF were decisively repelled by a
coalition of the Angolan army, MK and Cuban recruits in what is now famously
known as The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale. On 23 September 1987 the SADF went
on the offensive and started shelling the border town of Cuito with heavy
long-range artillery. The heavier response from the Angolan army and the liberation armies was too much for the SADF to handle, and it finally conceded defeat and withdrew into South Africa-controlled South West Africa on 13 March 1988 after six
unsuccessful attempts to push through the coalition’s stronger defenses.

It is against the backdrop of such relations between the ANC in exile and
a new MPLA government that that the current face-off between Angola’s refugees in South Africa and the South African government comes into focus. The
tables have now turned. The ANC is now the ruling party in South Africa,
and over a hundred and fifty thousand Angolans remain in exile in a number
of Southern African states, including  South Africa, due to a bloody civil
war between Neto’s MPLA government and UNITA rebels which has run through most
of Angola’s independence years, ending in 2002.

On 3 May 2013 the Department of Home Affairs together with the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released a statement declaring that all Angolan refugees in South Africa were to be a part of a repatriation process which would commence as of August 31.
Details around the process have been sketchy, and this has left the Angolan refugee community in South Africa on tenterhooks as to what is actually going to happen to
them and their future in South Africa. The organisation representing
Angolans in South Africa, the Congress of Students and Angolan
Community (CACE) held a protest demonstration outside of the South African
parliament building on 16 May 2013.The following points were raised by the
protesters in a petition to the department:

- It is unclear whether the South African government is going to enforce a voluntary repatriation program for Angolan refugees or whether they are going to enforce cessation and force Angolans to go back home.

- If an Angolan refugee does not want to return to Angola, what options exist for an exemption?

- Who can apply for exemption and what are the criteria?

- What other options will be created for those Angolans who have established roots, via marriage and other means, in South Africa? Will there be a special permit allowing them to reside and work in South Africa?

The issue of Angolan support to the ruling ANC government during the struggle in South Africa was also voiced by protesters. Part of the petition handed over to a government representative read:

“The CACE would like to remind the South African government of the historical ties between our two nations. We as Angolans gave assistance to the ANC and other political organizations during the struggle for freedom in South Africa. This important period in our shared history is best remembered by the loss of many Angolan and ANC fighters in The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, where the apartheid regime was defeated and forced to begin preparations towards a free, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. We would like the ANC government to be reminded of this recent background when it deals with the issue of our exile in South Africa today.”

According to Scalabrini Advocacy Officer, Marilize Ackermann, the repatriation process appears to be racked by inefficiency and a lack of information from the department’s side. “It is all happening under the radar, with no clear communication by the department, which is leading to a lot of concern in the Angolan refugee community,” she says. Scalabrini has 78 Angolan clients, 56 of whom are being assisted with cessation procedures.

A thorny issue around the repatriation process is people’s safety and protection once they return to Angola, according to CACE president Manuel Panzo:
“The president has mentioned that Angolans in exile, especially those of us in South Africa, are hatching a plot to overthrow the government once we return to Angola. This is far from the truth. We are not planning any take-over of power in Angola. We fear for our safety and human rights once we set foot in Angola. These concerns have fallen on deaf ears with local authorities.”

Following the hand-over of the petition, the parliament’s representative promised to hand it over to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs. He added that he would follow up with the department and provide feedback to CACE as soon as it was available.

The march ended with a declaration by CACE that they would await the government`s response and if there was no feedback by June 30^th, the organisation would return to stage another protest demonstration outside parliament’s buildings.

 

Book Focus: Sanctuary – How An Inner-City Church Spilled Onto A Sidewalk

Book Focus: Sanctuary – How An Inner-City Church Spilled Onto A Sidewalk

•    How did the idea for the book come about?
In May 2008, events around the xenophobic violence shocked many of us.  Central Methodist Church was in the headlines at the time, which is when I first thought that I would like to write something about CMC.

b. When did you start, and how long was the process from idea to finished book?
It took two years for me to start working on the idea of writing something about CMC.  It was in April 2010 when I received the Ruth First Fellowship from Wits Journalism that I moved forward with my idea.  I then started to research and write a long article about CMC that would form the text of the Ruth First Memorial Lecture that I gave in August 2010.

It turns out that two people from Jacana Media were in the audience of the lecture.  Some months later, they asked if I would be interested in expanding the lecture into a book.  My answer was a resounding ‘Yes.’  I continued to work on the book until it went to the printer in the middle of February 2013.  So from beginning my research until the finished product, it took me three years.

•    How did the people inside the church itself feel about someone from the outside coming inside to write about them? Did you experience any challenges in this regard?
There were large numbers of journalists, local and international, that visited CMC over the years and interviewed residents.  When I first visited CMC in April 2010, I was fortunate that I did not have a short deadline.  I was able to spend time there over several months before writing the Ruth First Lecture.  I made it clear to people what I was working on, and only interviewed people who were interested in working with me on the project.

About twenty residents from CMC attended the Ruth First Lecture and were encouraged by what I had to say about CMC.  I believe that these two factors – 1) having a longer period of time to spend on the project, and 2) sharing my work with people prior to embarking on the book -  helped build trust between myself and CMC residents.  When I shared the idea of working on a book, many people thought that it was a good idea.

I continued to get to know people at CMC over a long period of time.  When I finished the draft manuscript, I read quotes and stories, which people had shared with me, back to them so that we could agree that all was in order, or so that I could make necessary changes and corrections.  This process meant that people offered input and were not shocked to see the content of the final product.  It was important to me that people found the process respectful.

d. How did you go about gathering the various facts for the book together, given the potentially disruptive working scenario in the church? 
I did a great deal of research inside and outside of CMC. My research included reading newspaper articles and research papers, face to face interviews, phone interviews, attending meetings and workshops, and spending time at Central Methodist just hanging around and talking to people.  For the interviews inside CMC, I would try to set aside quiet time and space for a conversation but that wasn’t always possible.

•    What challenges did you have to deal with in writing the entire narrative?
One of the big challenges was finding the best structure for the entire narrative.  At first, I wasn’t sure how the book should begin.  I had chapters that covered current events, as well as chapters that covered historic events.  I put together several different outlines.  In late February 2012, I put different blocks of coloured paper, representing different chapters, up on my wall, deciding which order would work best.  I started in the present, went back in time to the historic chapters and then worked my way back to the present again.

Many of the events I was writing about happened before I arrived on the scene so it was a challenge to recreate events.  After all of my research and interviews, I wanted to write about events in a way that would bring them to life.  That was a challenge.

When I put all the chapters together in one document, I realized that I had written the entire book in the present tense and I decided to change it to the past tense.

I also struggled with the issue of how often to write in the first person and when to write in the third person.  I tended to shy away from writing in the first person, but realized that it was necessary in certain parts of the book for me to share my personal experience.

f. What was the biggest revelation for you in writing the book?
When I began my research, I did not expect to find that events within Central Methodist Church mirrored many of the challenges facing the city of Johannesburg as a whole from its birth in 1886 through to the present.

At first I was writing about the crisis at Central Methodist in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  Then I found myself writing about the history of Central Methodist from its founding in 1886 through to the 1970s, 80s and 90s.  Then I realized that Central Methodist was a microcosm of Johannesburg over time, pre-apartheid, during apartheid and post-apartheid.  I found it amazing to chart developments in the City by looking at events at CMC.

g. Whom amongst the dozens of individuals you came across during the process, would you say was  most interesting or remarkable, and why?
‘Sanctuary’ is not a full biography of any one person.  It is a book about the lives of many people that came together in one place.  It is that place that I found most interesting and remarkable.

However, I must say that it is the stories of individuals in the book that brings it to life.  From Lindiwe Myeza in the 1970s, 80s and 90s to Cleo Buthelezi in the 2000s.  From Reverend Peter Storey to Reverend Mvume Dandala to Reverend Paul Verryn.  From Leothere Nininahazwe of Burundi and Monica Chiwetu of Zimbabwe and many, many more.

h. What are your thoughts on the role of non-governmental organizations such as the Methodist Church in advocating on behalf of migrant communities in South Africa?
Many non-governmental organisations (not only Central Methodist) have worked with the migrant community in South Africa.  They have played a very important role.  Some have helped with access to basic services.  Others have offered advice on documentation, and advocated for people’s legal rights under South Africa’s constitution.

i. What was the biggest highlight for you in the entire period writing the book?
One of the biggest thrills for me was seeing the book back from the printer.  I remember receiving the phone call from my publisher, Jacana Media, saying that they had an advance copy of ‘Sanctuary’ for me.  I was so nervous.  It was so overwhelming and emotional to see all that work come together in book form and to hold it in my hands for the first time.

j. Do you see a situation in future where the Central Methodist Church Pritchard Street church returns to being an ordinary church again?
Central Methodist has never been an ‘ordinary’ church so it is unlikely that it will become ‘ordinary’ in the future.  On the other hand, Central Methodist continues to hold Sunday services for its congregation every week.  So in that sense, it continues as an ‘ordinary’ church.

Please find more information on Sanctuary – How An Inner-City Church Spilled Onto A Side-walk at – http://www.sanctuary-book.co.za/

William Twala’s Story

My name is William Twala. I am 32 years old.I am originally from Thokoza in the Ekhuruleni municipality of Johannesburg. I came to Cape Town in 2011 to find a job and to live in a new city. I am a person who likes adventure and to explore.

I had little in the way of money or possessions on me when I arrived in Cape Town, only a bag of clothing and an unwavering faith that I was going to change my life for the better in this city. My arrival, however, instantly opened me to a side of the city I did not anticipate. On my alighting of the train at the Cape Town Station, my intention was to find a motel or cheap overnight accommodation where i could stay for a few days, and look for a room to rent in the city or the outlying townships as permanent residence before finding employment.

I had been trained and worked as a truck driver in Johannesburg and was going to go out to look for similar employment here too. My first night turned out to be a horrible experience as I ended up being robbed outside the station on my way to a motel. I was stripped of all the money I had and my bag of clothes.

After the thugs had disappeared into the night, I was almost immediately assisted by a passerby who offered me some money to buy food and directed me to a shelter in the city centre. I went straight to the shelter and was offered a further meal and accommodation to sleep over for the night. Due to the convenience of being right in the city, I decided on furthering my stay in the shelter for a while whilst I searched for a job.

I was specifically looking for a job as a driver as I had the experience. It was hard to find a truck driver’s job here because as someone from outside, I was not familiar with the routes and towns here, and that proved to be a big inconvenience in my job applications. Eventually I ended up working as a waiter for various restaurants in town and in the V&A Waterfront so that I could sustain myself and pay for my shelter accommodation while looking for a driver’s job.

It was in November last year that my job as a waiter in a V&A Waterfront restaurant came to an end as the restaurant was facing closure.I was tired of working as a waiter and wanted to work as a driver as I felt I knew the city and surrounding areas well enough to take up such employment. I found myself unemployed and desperate. I was then told by someone in the shelter to visit the Scalabrini Centre for them to help me find a new job.

I came to the Scalabrini Centre on a Monday morning and was directed to the Employment Access Programme Help Desk. I spoke to a consultant on the desk. He was most helpful and showed real interest in assisting me. He advised me to return to the centre on a daily basis and go through the newspapers, job boards and go online on the free internet offered in the centre for my job searches.

I began my morning journeys to the Scalabrini Centre every Monday morning up to Friday going about my job searching by email, phone calls and faxing at the centre. It was in January this year that after two months of trying to find a job as a driver that I received a response to my email and phone application. It was a meter taxi driver’s position, and not the truck driver’s position as I had initially searched for.

I am now happy and working as a meter taxi driver in the CBD area and outlying areas for a reputable taxi company. I have moved into a place of my own. I am working on saving enough money to buy my own taxi by the end of the year.I am also making plans for my family, wife and two kids, to come and join me for us to live together as a family here in Cape Town.

I would like to thank the Scalabrini Centre for being of assistance to me when it was most important in my life. I am eternally grateful to the Scalabrini Centre. I would like to encourage others, especially my fellow South African brothers and sisters who are newly arrived here in Cape Town and have no clue as to how to begin with their employment searching, to come to Scalabrini Centre for assistance.You can be helped here too.

Cultural Orientation Programme – Fun on Lion’s Head

Made it to the top!

On 14 April 2013, a partly cloudy but nice Sunday afternoon, Ninon, Dadou and myself decided to take an interesting short trip to this distinctive shaped mountain slope called Lion’s Head. This proud lion overlooks the city of Cape Town and Table Bay on one side, and the amazing scenic Atlantic Ocean coastline on the other. On a beautiful clear day the views are spectacular and great for taking photos, particularly of Robben Island. On our way up, the guys would catch their breath along the steep path while taking pictures and admiring the great views which inspired them to carry on further. Even exhaustion could not stop the excitement from Dadou and Ninon as we made our way around the lion until we reached the chains taking us to the very top.

The most exciting part for me was to listen to Dadou and Ninon sharing  their experiences both good and bad about their lives in their own countries and a completely different perception they now have about South Africa in terms of cultures. We had such an awesome time on top of the mountain and the guys could not stop asking questions about South Africa and life in general as we basked in the afternoon sunshine looking down at Camps Bay with its beautiful blue sea. Well, what else can I say? Except to say another day well spent with two nice guys very keen to learn and expand their horizons with knowledge.

Robert Ngwenya, Volunteer Host, Cultural Orientation Programme

English School Documentary Screening

On Friday, 26 April the Scalabrini English School students gathered for a documentary film screening and discussion session. The monthly activity is designed to give students of all levels an opportunity to practice their English and improve their conversational skills in a stimulating but relaxed environment.

The film shown this time was Thinking About It, featuring Zambian youths discussing their feelings on their sexual experiences and the morals surrounding general sexual behaviours. The post-screening discussion was facilitated by Daphne and Odile, two students recently trained by STEPS for the future. Students actively engaged with one another on the topic, encouraging their classmates with less English to contribute as much as possible.

Cultural Orientation Programme – Host’s Personal Reflection

Cape Town is said to be the most culturally diverse city in the world. I don’t know if this is true, but I am sure it ranks close to the top.

As a passionate traveller who thrives on getting to know other people and their culture, the Mother City seems the perfect place to build a multicultural circle of family and friends.

So what does mine look like after 6 years in this country? Well, it may be a mixture of English and Afrikaans South Africans topped with German and Canadian sprinkles, but all in all it is a 100% Western/European rooted bunch. Certainly very lovely! But not exactly what can be called a colourful variety of culture, let alone race.

It is extremely difficult to spend time with and get close to people from other social and racial groups and I have been experiencing this as a real void in my life that I have been longing to fill.

Regarding the extreme chasm that still prevails here between people of countless different backgrounds, it appears hopeless to wish that they will somehow manage to come together in understanding, tolerance and ideally support.

The only realistic way I see is to start with the future generation – with our children who have no concept of nationality, race, skin colour or social status. Our children whose minds are still open to welcoming everything new and different.

For me personally, the Scalabrini Cultural Orientation Programme is a unique and perfect opportunity for my and my programme partner Brigitte’s children to spend time with and get to know children from a completely different culture. I am hoping that – if we can keep it up – it will have a considerable and long lasting impact on their future attitude and behaviour towards people who are different from themselves.

And what is the best way for kids to learn – through fun and play of course!

No need for time to “warm up” to each other when there are jungle gyms to explore together at Greenpoint Park or marine creatures to discover at the Two Oceans Aquarium.

Next time they will discover the SA Museum and Company Gardens together – once again full of enthusiasm and with complete lack of shyness, strangeness or prejudice.

As for Brigitte and myself – when we manage to exchange a few words in between watching our busy kids, we will never lack things to talk about. Mothers with kids of similar age will always connect – no matter how different their backgrounds.

Melanie Rabie, Volunteer Host, Cultural Orientation Programme

Romy

Hi, my name is Romy and I have worked in the Employment Access Programme for three weeks now. At present I am actually supposed to finish my studies in Psychology in Germany, but I found there might be better things to do for the moment… and I suppose Scalabrini Centre has proven me right.

The idea of working with migrants and refugees and supporting them came up for the first time when I was interning in a centre for addiction therapy in
Berlin. When I was talking with patients from other countries about their
reasons for taking drugs, it seemed that all the struggles they faced when
moving to another country and trying to fit in there contributed to the
development of their addiction. Drugs were a way to either escape from the
challenges and disappointments they could not handle or to function at work and in relationships. I realized that even small but spirited support could turn desperate situations into manageable challenges for them.

I am glad that Scalabrini has given me the chance to offer this kind of direct
help. Within a few days here, I learned that the hope and confidence of the people looking for work can be the most powerful motivators for me to give my best. While I can help them as they ‘look for greener pastures’ (as some clients like to write), I have the opportunity to see how all the people here work hand in hand to provide the most effective support possible. I think the way the services are offered here, this thinking without limits, just oriented towards the clients’ needs, is what impresses me most about Scalabrini and I am curious about the experiences here that lie ahead of me.