Sindiswa Nunu prepares food at the Africa Day event in Philippi yesterday. Photo: Masixole Feni
26 May 2016
Unity! Unity! Ixesha lokubambana! (Now is the time we should unite) sang a group of about 50 people attending an Africa Day event at Nontsebenziswano Educare Centre in Philippi yesterday.
The event was organised by Khulumani Support group, which invited residents of Philippi, Khayelitsha, Nyanga, KTC and New Crossroads. The aim was to encourage unity among different nationalities.
Khulumani had invited foreign nationals to the event but none attended.
“I believe our fellow African nationals are afraid or are busy at work,”said Sindiswa Nunu, a field worker from Khulumani.
“We aim to eradicate the word foreigner when referring to other nationals from Africa. We also want to tell the government that by engaging in xenophobic attacks we were very wrong,” said Nunu.
Xingwana Mawonga from Philippi said African traditional ways of living were fast disappearing.
“When we migrated from the rural areas to town we lost the concept of Ubuntu. If we go back to this we will not see xenophobic attacks again.”
Mawonga, 76, originally from the Eastern Cape, said today’s youth should be encouraged to eat traditional dishes.
The group had prepared samp (umngqusho), pumpkin porridge (ithonga) porridge (umpokogo), with African beer (umgombothi) and roasted beef.
Poet Siyanda Jama, 22, recited poems in isiXhosa.