JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — In a newly
renovated white building in a
South African township about 20 children in
judogi and others in school uniforms tumble around on a tatami under the
watchful eye of a coach.
اضافة اعلان
They are from a nearby primary school and regularly
gather for judo classes here in Alexandra township, north of the Johannesburg
inner city and in the shadow of the financial hub of Sandton.
The project aims to “use judo as a vehicle for ...
refugees, migrants (and) South Africans to meet together”, said Judo for Peace
coordinator Roberto Orlando. It’s a “platform to be all equal, to learn
together and to develop skills and values all together”.
Alexandra is one of the poorest, most densely
populated black townships in South Africa.
In 2008, more than 60 people — mostly migrant
workers from other
African countries — were killed in the country’s worst
outbreak of xenophobic attacks since the end of apartheid.
Fourteen years on, the scourge of xenophobia, which
mainly targets Black Africans, has not left the township.
From time to time, violent attacks against African
immigrants still occur in Alexandra and other townships where crime and
unemployment is rife.
Such attacks are predominantly staged by jobless
Black South Africans.
This year has seen tensions rise again in Alexandra.
For several months a vigilante group called Operation Dudula — “push back” in
Zulu language — has staged marches demanding the expulsion of illegal
immigrants.
Migrants especially from the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe have borne the brunt of the
anti-foreigner hostility.
Orlando decided now, more than ever, was the best
time to have a dojo in the township. It officially opened its doors last month.
“Alexandra is one of the biggest, most densely
populated areas in South Africa. It is an area where many xenophobic attacks
happened and I think it is one of the areas that should be targeted when we
talk about teaching people how to live together,” he said.
At the heart of his teaching philosophy are the
principles of self-control, discipline, respect, honor, courage, and
friendship.
‘Live together’
One of the coaches is
Rudolph Ngala. He is from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Having a migrant coach is strategic because “people
can get used to seeing refugees as someone who brings skills to the country”,
Orlando said.
Ngala, 21, arrived in South Africa from
Kinshasa in
2017 and immediately took up judo with Orlando. He has graduated to become a
coach.
“Judo helped me a lot with (making) friends,” said
Ngala. “In Alexandra, everybody who lives here is like my family. I am
Congolese. I am black. I am African. We are all African”.
Standing and cracking jokes with two South Africans
after competing at a weekend event for
World Refugee Day on Monday, Denzel
Shumba, 17, who moved to South Africa with his family 10 years ago from
Zimbabwe, also took up judo.
“South Africa (is) a difficult place sometimes
because there’s xenophobia,” he said.
Shumba said taking up judo has helped him to become
a calmer, more respectful and peaceful person, learn a valuable skill and make
new friends.
And that is exactly what Orlando wants to see.
“South Africa is a bit of a showcase of what is
happening in the world. We are all mixing up. People are migrating. More and
more we need to learn from each other, to learn to live together, next to each
other,” he said.
Orlando, athletic and with piercing blue eyes, is originally
from Italy, but has worked in
Ethiopia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of
Congo, and now South Africa, setting up judo dojos to empower the youth and
integrating people in disadvantaged communities.
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