4.3.2. Economic Initiatives
Apart from the right to work and to open bank accounts,
CSOs frequently question the
government, through its Ministry of Public Works, about the
refusal of some companies and organisations to hire FMs because of their
status. Sometimes, they take the initiatives, as Sr. Sandra said (see Chapter
Three), of providing recommendation letters to those looking for job
opportunities. It is important to note that many FMs, especially in the
security industry, got jobs due to the influence and under the recommendation
of CSOs; and now they can take care
of themselves and feed their family members.
This chapter has highlighted the Johannesburg's civil
society strengths, focusing on their potential for bringing social and
economic transformation in favour of the FMs, through a range of
services in sectors such as health and education. The next subsection will talk
about some of their weaknesses.
4.3.3. Weaknesses of the Inner City CSOs
The most important weaknesses of the inner city's CSOs may be
seen through the statements
expressed below.
- They are unable to mobilise South Africans in their
awareness campaigns for a greater social justice for FMs, in the sense
that they have never thought about encouraging them to sympathise and
be supportive of FMs, as a sign of solidarity.
- There is a lack of radical (rebellious) attitudes (as
Sandercock suggests) in the way they address FMs challenges to the
local and national governments. For example, they do not
organise protest marches, inviting South Africans as well
as FMs to participate, to exert
pressures on these two spheres of government, asking them to
improve the conditions of FMs, like social movements did in the US state of
Tennessee where American citizens sympathised with the undocumented immigrants
to force authorities to give the undocumented immigrants
the right to apply for a driver's license.
- Some of these organisations are financially dependent of
the state subsidiaries. This may compromise their autonomy
vis-à-vis the state and may also prevent from challenging the
government on issues affecting FMs.
4.4. Conclusion
The chapter focused on the analysis of the findings of my
fieldwork. It examined the opinions
of both FMs and members of the CSOs on the
challenges facing FMs, as well as on the different initiatives
undertaken by CSOs to facilitate a greater social justice for FMs, bring
social and economic transformation, and make Johannesburg a just city.
It also gave an overview of the strengths and the weaknesses of these
organisations. But the most important thing that should be noted is that, since
the abolition of apartheid in 1994, the Johannesburg CSOs have contributed a
great deal to the social transformation of the City, and have played a major
role in the integration of FMs in the inner city. At the national and
local levels, they contributed to the publication of the 1998 Refugees Act,
and to the government decisions to allow FMs to work and study, to open bank
accounts, as well as to access public health care
freely.
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