Picket outside
South Africa House
Trafalgar Square
Saturday 22nd November
1-2pm
in solidarity with the Coalition Against Xenophobia's 24 hour picket outside Lindela Repatriation Centre in South Africa.
Bring banners.
For freedom of movement for all, not only the super rich!
Picket supported by No Borders London and others.

Refugees are known to have been tortured and killed after being deported from S A to contries like Zimbabwe or Somalia. Hundreds of African refugees have been killed in attacks S A by mobs. Many have fled the slums to escape the violence and are living in makeshift camps, but the authorities are cutting off their water and electricity to force them to go back there.

Photos of Lindela:
 http://www.irinnews.org/photogallery/SAAug07/index.html
Shut Down Lindela!

Demands for the Closure of the Lindela Repatriation Centre

Starting at 12noon on Friday 21st November the Coalition Against Xenophobia, of which the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front is an affiliated member organisation, will be holding a 24-hour picket and protest at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp.


Demands for the Closure of the Lindela Repatriation Centre
The Coalition Against Xenophobia is a broad coalition of civil society organisations, social movements and individuals who are committed to working against xenophobia and towards the improvement and transformation of our society. We believe that the Lindela Repatriation Centre represents all that is wrong with Governments immigration policies. These policies are premised on the detection, detention and deportation of suspected illegal immigrants. They make the false assumption that immigrants to South Africa are not welcome here. Lindela has developed a notorious reputation, and has been condemned by a range of human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch and the South African Human Rights Commission. The human rights of those unfortunate enough to be incarcerated in Lindela have been found to be routinely violated, and abuse and corruption is commonplace. Detainees are deprived of basics such as food and blankets, are routinely abused and beaten, and have even died whilst in detention at Lindela. In effect, Lindela serves as a prison, except that the inmates are not criminals and have not been proven guilty by any judgement. Men, women and children are being held prisoner in Lindela because they came to South Africa in attempts to improve the lives of their families, or have fled persecution, war or civil unrest. If the government continues to treat immigrants like criminals, xenophobic attacks will continue. Operating centres like Lindela is not a sensible or humane way of dealing with those who seek refuge in South Africa. Millions of Rands are wasted every year imprisoning and deporting poor people back to their countries, while thousands of others are driven to come here to escape poverty and violence. What we need is a complete overhaul of Governments immigration policies. Immigration should not be seen as a problem, but as an opportunity to enrich and strengthen our society. For the CAX the closure of Lindela, and all other repatriation centres is a necessary part of the process of changing government policy, and of showing our solidarity with those who are currently victims of it.
We demand an end to:
* The governments Racist and Xenophobic Immigration Policies
* Police harassment, arrests and the abuse of the immigrant communities
* Corruption by police officers and Home Affairs officials
* Racist and xenophobic portrayals of immigrants in the media that fuel violence and disrespect
We demand:
* The immediate closure of the Lindela Repatriation Centre
* Policies that recognise the positive contribution that immigrant communities have made to our society
* The free movement of all peoples across the globe and the abolition of restrictive border controls
* Full residential rights for all those who live in South Africa
* Measures to address poverty, unemployment, and the lack of social services
No One is Illegal!
Our Struggle Knows No Borders!
The Coalition Against Xenophobia includes: African Renaissance Civic Movement, Alternative Media Productions, Action Aid International, Amnesty International (South Africa), Animal Rights Africa, Anti-Privatisation Forum, Black Sash Trust, Blakbox Imprint, Ceasefire Campaign, Central Methodist Church / Refugee Ministries, Children’s Rights Project, Christians for Peace in Africa, Earthlife Africa (Johannesburg), Education Indaba Forum, Ethiopian Community of South Africa (ECSA), Foundation for Human Rights, Freedom of Expression Institute, General Industrial Workers Union of SA (GIWUSA), Golden Triangle Community Crisis Committee (Golcomm), Group of Refugees Without Voice, Imbawula Trust, Inner City Resource Centre, Islamic Relief Johannesburg, Jubilee South Africa, Keep Left, Khanya College, Kliptown Concerned Residents, Landless People’s Movement Gauteng & Northwest, Lawyers for Human Rights, Lesbian and Gay Equality Project, Masibambane Unemployment Project, Medecins sans frontiers (Doctors without Borders, Merafong Demarcation Forum, NEHAWU Johannesburg, Pacifique Sukisa Foundation, Palestinian Solidarity Committee, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Samancor Retrenched Workers Crisis Committee, Samigos, Social Movements Indaba (SMI), Somali Association of South Africa (SASA), Sounds of Edutainment, Treatment Action Campaign, Ubuntu Indaba Forum, Umzabalazo we Jubilee, Workers World Media Production, Yeoville Stakeholders Forum