Photo taken by Anatelle Ford for the Adonis Musati Project.
More than a decade ago, Archbishop Desmond Tutu defined Ubuntu as an ethic which is upheld by someone who ‘…has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.’ In short, he described ubuntu as the essence of being human.
But what is the meaning of these words in the face of the mistreatment of refugees in South Africa? In front of the Department of Home Affairs, there are always refugees who have been sleeping on the pavement for days, trying to obtain an asylum seeker’s permit. They are not even allowed to use the building’s toilets and risk losing their place in line when seeking this service elsewhere.
Recently it was said in the news that a lorry reportedly carrying sewerage had sprayed effluent onto hundreds of desperate immigrants – young and old – at the Methodist Church refugee camp in Johannesburg.
For decades, refugees have been a significant feature of the South African landscape. South Africa has given official recognition to refugees, a move that has been highly appreciated. However, refugees have experienced varying degrees of acceptance or rejection as they strive to make a living in a foreign land.
Photo taken by Anatelle Ford for the Adonis Musati Project
The scenarios presented above and other untold stories, makes one wonder whether the ethics of Ubuntu will remain a political philosophy. Ubuntu calls us to place equal value on all individuals, to raise the voice of those who otherwise cannot do it for themselves. It defines what it really means to be a human being.
The Adonis Musati Project, for one, believes in the spirit of Ubuntu. Named after a young Zimbabwean who died of starvation on the streets of Cape Town, this organisation aims to support refugees in their endeavours to make a life for themselves.
The Development Works team hopes to support them as much as possible.
Filed under: Africa, Asylum seekers, DEVELOPMENT WORKS, NGOs, Philosophy, Refugees, Zimbabwe, basic human right, governance, politics, poverty, ubuntu, xenophobia | Leave a Comment
Tags: Adonis Musati Project, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, asylum seeker, Department of Home Affairs, DEVELOPMENT WORKS, discrimination, ethics, Methodist Church refugee camp, mistreatment, political philosophy, politics, Refugees, ubuntu, xenophobia
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