CWAO IN THE NEWS

We see Black people killing one another like nobody's business, only because others come from different countries and speak different languages.

I have been living in Gauteng since 2013 and working in different restaurants. I have experienced a lot of bad treatment for the only reason that I use a passport. Co-workers called me hurtful names, bosses treated us differently. We even felt the pain of not being part of them, even though inside we knew that we are the same. However, they made sure to always call us ‘foreigners’.

There were two of us at my workplace who used passports. I will never forget the COVID-19 pandemic when my workplace closed. The other workers were getting paid by the company, but not the two of us, yet on our payslips it showed differently. Our co-workers were laughing at us on the WhatsApp group about us being foreigners and our bosses couldn't care about how we felt. When we tried to enquire about our pay, nobody gave us answers.

In the community, we experienced the same thing. The word was out that people are being killed, harassed and victimised only because for being called ‘foreigners’.

Furthermore, hospitals and Home Affairs also contribute to those hurtful words, calling us foreigners when we seek help. I now have a child with a disability. Their hatred for people using passports from another country makes them forget that human life is very important. Even in the taxi we are asked for passports as if we have to always carry them with us. I feel like we're being harassed, we are being harassed by our own brothers and sisters.

Category: THE NEW WORKER | NEWS