SayPro Project Diepsloot Youth Project **Diepsloot Youth Project Diepsloot residents protest against foreign nationals

Diepsloot residents are fed up with the increasing number of foreigners in their vicinity. They believe that the influx of people is leading to crime, drugs and unemployment. In an effort to get authorities’ attention, they have decided to take a stand and protest against the presence of outsiders in their area. Santa Singh, chairman and founder of Diepsloot Youth Project (DYP), hopes that their gesture will not go unnoticed by the administration and help them address the issue at its root.”There are more than 100 non-local residents in our area, which is posing serious security challenge for us,” he says.

“It’s time we enforce a blanket ban on renting out houses to outsiders,” he adds.

Youth development is an important concern in any community, but it’s a matter of grave concern in Diepsloot. The youth population is fast decreasing due to unemployment and crime, which has become a serious issue for the town authorities. To change this and keep the youth engaged, Diepsloot Youth Project was started 2 years ago by a few volunteers and nonprofit organizations. Since then, it has grown steadily and now has 20-30 boys and girls enrolled in its various programs.

One of the projects that runs under this NGO is Chai Chilla. The kids love to attend events held at the community center where they get to interact with elderly people, attend workshops on health and nutrition etc. They also get to learn how to make chai and other delicacies from the visit by local food bloggers who come every month to teach them new dishes.

These kids have seen more than their share of problems in life; why not let them be a part of a solution?

During the recent elections, residents of Diepsloot had to deal with a new and unwanted presence – foreign nationals. Old schools like Diepsloot High School seemed to have become hubs for illegal immigrants and their families, adding to the already over-crowded schools in the area.

Residents came out on the streets in protest of these outsiders taking up their space and resources, but no one seems to be listening. What will it take for people to realize that when immigration happens as a result of poverty, crime and/or war, then it’s not worth celebrating?

Residents of Diepsloot are fed up with the influx of foreigners in their neighbourhood. The area has become a hub for all kinds of criminal activity, and residents feel that local youth are being pushed out by outsiders. So they decided to take action and protest. In June 2018, residents gathered at Diepsloot Mall and walked towards Soweto’s biggest stadium to call for the closure of illegal immigration centres in South Africa. Youth Project, a local NGO, joined hands with them to make the protest stand out on social media as well.

The last time locals saw such a massive turnout was during the #FeesMustFall protests. Their voice is finally being heard!

Diepsloot is famous for its foreign nationals, who flock here in search of greener pastures and a better life. But there are also locals who have been living here for decades and want to stay on in peace. In order to spread awareness about their cause, the youth from Diepsloot held a protest march against foreigners yesterday. It was a peaceful march that ended with a sit-in in front of the Chinese embassy in Pretoria. The group wants more locals to come forward and register themselves as South Africans so that they can get the rights they are entitled to under the constitution.

Thank you all for being part of this movement!

SayPro Project Diepsloot Youth Project **Diepsloot Youth Project Diepsloot residents protest against foreign nationals

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