A CALL INTO TOLERANCE

This is to respond to the deep sense of unease as to the direction a few South Africans have taken to tarnish the image of the country and democracy born out of enormous sacrifices by embarking on this on-going barbaric anarchy, butchering and torching of our continental brothers and sisters. We condemn all of these inhuman acts of violence and declare them as a reactionary tendency that seeks to undermine the principle of democracy, right to life and inherent dignity.
Whilst acknowledging the grave grievances the poorest of our people are experiencing, we firmly wish to stress that these xenophobic attacks will not solve the socio-economic pressures and imbalances that our people are faced with. Further to that we make a call to all South Africans, especially students of this institution as organic intellectuals to take it upon our stride as Proudly South Africans to collectively curb and purge away these racial and discriminatory intolerances that seek to reverse the tireless efforts of our forefathers in creating Africa, as a continent, that rises above the rest.
Students: We are community members before we are students. Therefore, we need to plough back to our communities the understanding of diversity and acceptance of difference among our people but above all things we must extensively make a call to instil tolerance.
As the student representative we therefore discourage such inhuman acts be it in our campuses or our communities.The Westville SRC would like to affirm again that UKZN is an international institution and still subscribes to its vision of becoming the premier University of African Scholarship. The SRC as a student representative will uphold and protect diversity in this institution. International students from neighboring countries should therefore report any xenophobic offences and acts to the RMS and the SRC and perpetrator of such will be thoroughly dealt with.
Away with these barbaric acts and the perpetrators must be brought into book!!! Let's make UKZN home away from home and a univesity of choice for both local and continental students.

Westville SRC (UKZN)
27 May 2008
Contact: Siyabonga Ngqongqwana (Acting Secretary: WSRC)
031-260-7106/ 078-981-2220