We must question the true meaning of collective liberation: Anti-xenophobia rally on Heritage Day in Cape Town 

19 September 2024

On 24 September 2024, Heritage Day, civil society, youth, climate, and community activists from across Cape Town will converge at The Castle of Good Hope for a rally urging us to acknowledge our shared history, confront the realities of the present, and envision a future rooted in African unity. Through music, art, and heritage, this gathering will serve as a rallying call to to shape a new, collective solidarity against forces that seek to divide us.

Heritage Day in South Africa is a day to honour our diversity and to celebrate what binds us in our ongoing pursuit of liberation and justice. True freedom can only be realised when we reject division and exploitation and instead come together as one people, united in resistance against the forces of oppression that dominate our world.

We must remember that we are African. Our unity cannot be limited to fleeting moments like rugby matches or—more dangerously—xenophobic sentiments. To free the South African identity from its colonial legacy, we must proudly declare ourselves African and firmly reject the growing wave of afrophobic rhetoric in our media and political discourse.

Three decades into democracy, one would expect a country with South Africa’s history of resistance to embrace transformation. Yet, the opposite seems to be happening. Hateful rhetoric from our political leaders fuels fear and hostility toward other African nationals living in South Africa, scapegoating vulnerable communities for the failures of our political system.

"The history of Cape Town, and indeed that of South Africa, is deeply entwined with the broader history of the African continent. This began with one of  the first Pan-African movements on the continent: the Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union (ICU) and continued throughout apartheid until the present day. 

This is our heritage, and it's time we remember it," says Jordan Pieters, an activist with the Cape Youth Collective. "Our liberation from Apartheid cannot be viewed in isolation from the anti-colonial struggles across Africa. We must resist politicians who distort our history and vilify those who should be our allies."

Titled “I Am An African,” this anti-xenophobia rally calls on South Africans to recognise that the fight for liberation during Apartheid was not waged alone. It was supported by African nations and their people, who sheltered our heroes during exile and championed our struggle for freedom.

Xenophobia is a violent legacy of colonialism that continues to be shaped by a vicious and exploitative system of racial capitalism. While the system  pits us against one another, encouraging fear and distrust of fellow Africans, opportunistic politicians continue to use land, resources, jobs, and opportunities as tools of division.

“Our national pride lies in embracing the strength of our diversity,” says Gabriel Klaasen, activist with the African Climate Alliance. “The ‘Rainbow Nation’ we were promised was not what we thought it was. The colours we see now are bruises from wounds that have yet to heal. But we have the power to define a new path together—one where our pride comes from our shared sense of community and collective belonging.”

Instead of directing our anger at injustice at fellow Africans, we must target the real causes of our oppression: this racist capitalist system run by billionaires and their politicians. They are the real causes of our struggles

We must turn our love for our roots into a force that transcends borders and unites us in the struggle for collective liberation. Join us in standing in solidarity, as we declare ourselves African, beyond borders.

Partner organisations include:

Cape Youth Collective

African Climate Alliance

Congolese Civil Society of South Africa

YouthArise

56 Tambo

South African Jews for a Free Palestine

South African Refugee Led Network

Pan Africanist Congress of Azania

Somali Association of South Africa

Cape Cultural Collective

Issued by Cape Youth Collective, 19 September 2024