The South African Congress of Non-profit Organizations (SACONO) on Thursday convened an anti-xenophobia imbizo in Orlando, Johannesburg, to assess modalities of re-integrating foreigners who were recently attacked by locals for allegedly grabbing most jobs and venturing into lucrative businesses targeted by indigenous people.
SACONO secretary general, Tinstwalo Makhubele, told VOA Studio 7 the imbizo, which was attended by Johannesburg mayor, Parks Tau, and representatives of the premier of Gauteng province, resolved to start community programmes promoting mutual existence between locals and foreigners.
Makhubele said the one-day meeting was part of a wider African agenda of boosting relations on the continent, ravaged by political conflicts, hunger, poverty and disease.
Several organizations that attended the imbizo included Uphondo, an international social and communal network. Its representative, Sabelo Sibanda, said this was the best way of tackling xenophobia.
Seven people died in xenophobic attacks recently following similar violence in 2008, which left 62 people dead.