African Canadian Social Development Council (ACSDC)

The umbrella organization of agencies and groups serving the African community

2238 Dundas St. W Suite 107b.  Toronto, ON M6R 3A9.  Tel: 647-701-9956 www.acsdc.net)January

The Toronto, Canada – based African Canadian Social Development Council (ACSDC), has condemned the on-going widespread violence in South Africa targeted at foreign nationals in what is now described as Xenophobic attacks.

In a press statement released by Kay Alabi, the Executive Director of the 80+ member, 12-year old group, the council maintained that it left a bitter taste in the mouth for fellow Africans to be attacking other Africans when efforts should be intensified to try and correct the division created by colonialists who balkanized Africa in the past for their own selfish purposes.

Calling on South African authorities to urgently and immediately stem the tide of what it calls the unprovoked and unwarranted attacks on the lives, limbs and properties of innocent foreigners whose only sin is to seek better opportunities of life in places other than their original places of citizenship, the council also calls for the immediate sanctioning of the King of Zulu Kingdom, Mr.  Goodwill Zwelithini whose verbal instigation has been alleged to be the immediate trigger for these violent attacks.

Going further, Mr. Alabi also pleaded on citizens of the other African 53 fully recognized sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition not to engage in reprisal attacks on South African citizens and business concerns in their various countries as are now being reported in the media.

According to the ACSDC, other African countries have done so much in the past to help South Africa break free of apartheid during its trying times now to turn the country into an enemy and a pariah state now to be fought and treated with hatred and anger. It hoped and prayed that sanity would prevail soon in the country that produced such an African icon like the late Nelson Mandela now of blessed memory.

African Canadian Social Development Council (ACSDC) is an umbrella organization of agencies and organizations serving the African community. Its mission is to ensure the social, economic and cultural development of the continental African community in Canada by collaborating with community members and stakeholders, developing programs to support the capacity of its member agencies, conducting research and undertaking advocacy on issues affecting the continental African Canadian community.

In addition to its mandate as stated above, the council belongs to the City of Toronto-sponsored and funded Alternative Planning Group (APG) consortium comprising African Canadian Social Development Council (ACSDC), Chinese Canadian National Council – Toronto Chapter (CCNC-TO), Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA) and Hispanic Development Council (HDC).