A FAKE poster has added fuel to the tension between foreign nationals and locals.
The poster, which was purported to be from Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), stated that the organisation would be marching against South African immigration laws. But the organisation has since distanced itself from the poster.
One of the organisers, Cleopatra Shezi, told Daily Sun the fake poster was created to destabilise their upcoming march against xenophobia on Monday, 21 March.
She conceded there is indeed a problem with the illegal immigration in South Africa, but said government should be fingered for this.
She said Home Affairs and those who are guarding the boarders of South Africa must do their jobs.
In response to the poster, KAAX said: “We are outraged by the complete lies and divisiveness promoted by the fake news on social media in response to our public call to take action against xenophobia on Human Rights Day.”
She said their march on Human Rights Day is legal and the cops have been notified.
KAAX fingered Operation Dudula as the culprits who created the fake poster.
“Indeed, it is a direct affirmation of the constitutional and human right of all who live and work in South Africa to gather, protest and be heard.
“Our initiative has been mainly driven by South Africans who believe that any person in our country should be protected from discrimination, thuggery and violence.”
“This fake news is typical of the approach followed by Operation Dudula, which promotes hatred of those who are vulnerable and exploited.It fuels racial tension and deflects attention from the real enemy, which is racial capitalism, unemployment and government as well as corporate austerity”
Operation Dudula’s leader Nhlanhla “Lux” Dlamini said: in a video posted on social media: “On the 21 March Human Rights day,There is a poster circulating saying illegal foreigners are marching against South African laws. They chose the day where we lost our people in in numbersSharpeville.
“We are going to come together as South Africans and register to march on that day.
“At the same venue, you are going to find South Africans marching and we’ll see where these illegal foreigners are going to end up.”
Attempts to get the Operation Dudula to comment on whether they had anything to do with the “fake” poster were unsuccessful.
