Pretoria - Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Mondli Gungubele has thanked the residents of Makause and Marathon informal settlements for welcoming back displaced foreign nationals in their communities.
"This is a very emotional moment. Today we are witnessing reintegration in the true sense of the word," said Mayor Gungubele on Thursday.
He said the past weeks have been tough for the city and the rest of the country.
“I must thank the President and various leaders of the country, church community, civil society and all structures that made sure that we could reach this point so quickly," the Mayor said.
Mayor Gungubele also said that the process marked the beginning of a tougher process of ensuring long-lasting peace and stability in the region.
"The hard work starts now. We must guarantee the safety of all our communities while coming up with a sustainable process of social cohesion among the people so that we do not find ourselves in this situation again," said the Mayor.
He said the next few days will be a major test in determining the future of communities that were affected by attacks on foreign nationals.
"While every precaution will be taken to ensure that the violence does not erupt again, after extensive engagements with the leaders of the affected areas, we are quietly confident that peace, order and stability will be the order of the day in these areas.
“We are all Africans and we must demonstrate to the whole world that we are one by living together in peace and harmony," said Mayor Gungubele.
The City of Ekurhuleni said while the majority of displaced people opted to return to Marathon and Makause, a few opted to go back to their countries and the process was facilitated by the Department of Home Affairs. - SAnews.gov.za
