CHILDREN sporting colourful face-paint, infants breastfeeding, men playing board games, and women lying on the pavements are among the current scenes outside the Department of Home Affairs on Che Guevara Road.

The group relocated to the area after they had camped at Diakonia following alleged attacks and intimidation from their communities and on their businesses in mid-May.

Siyafana Sonke Action Campaign has been at the helm of intervention in what they described as a human rights crisis and government failure on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers.

The campaign’s Yeshelen Govender asserts, “The situation is escalating. What is packaged as anti-illegal immigrants’ protests is bordering on xenophobia and is marked with violence targeting certain nationalities.

“There has been little or no support from the government to mitigate the situation of the Congolese, despite reaching out with numerous attempts. Humanitarian relief has been great help during this time. Otherwise, there are absolutely no resources.”

Govender added that the asylum-seekers deserve to be treated with dignity, and they are entitled to equal treatment as South African citizens.

Also read: Refugee group claims abandonment, returns to Che Guevara Rd

Congolese Activist, Bishop Raphael Bahebwa, said he was deeply disappointed by the actions of the South African government.

“The state has not offered any solutions to the Che Guevara crisis. They seem like they do not care. We do not have a way forward. The refugees fled from their country due to civil wars and rapes. They never chose to come to this country. They are not just migrants; they are asylum-seekers”, Bahebwa shared.

He believes that the only solution the government has suggested was reintegration. “How can people go back to the communities that violated them? The state must first ensure peace and security in those areas where our people were chased away. Deportation or repatriation is not an option, because there is always a possibility of returning to SA.”

He said the Congolese chose to stay on Che Guevara because of police protection and donated meals. They come from all over the province, some as far as the Eastern Cape.

Alim Leung, manager and co-ordinator of the Humanitarian Relief for Refugee group, admits that their resources are stretched.

“We have tried seeking temporary shelters, but we were met with closed doors, no response. There is a shortage of basic necessities, including medical support. We survive on day-to-day provisions, and the situation is extremely unsustainable and inhumane,” Leung said.

And the way forward? “We do not know where to go. There is no State response yet. The government must ensure our safety before we reintegrate into the communities. It must stop the attacks. And not make us feel less human than SA citizens,” Bahebwa concluded.

For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here