“When I first came to South Africa, I was told Africa can get into your blood. I immediately thought that they meant the warmth of South Africans,” insists Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter.

“I didn't think at any time that they meant a culture of hatred and anger,” continued Baxter before a packed auditorium at the Sascoc (South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) headquarters in Johannesburg on Sunday. “At Kaizer Chiefs, we work with people with different cultural backgrounds from all walks of life.”

The Department of Sport and Recreation and the Department of Arts and Culture had invited various sports and cultural groups in their engagement with the media against Xenophobia to the Sascoc headquarters. This was part of the Departments’ responsibility to lead and promote nation building and social cohesion.

Amakhosi’s delegation included players – the Zimbabwean Ovidy Karuru and the Ugandan Ivan Bukenya – as well as Communications Manager Vina Maphosa.

Gracing the event were Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula and the Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa. Irvin Khoza represented the football fraternity as the president of the PSL.

“Instead of saying No to Xenophobia, I would rather say – Yes, let us be the best of what we can be,” Baxter concluded.

“Say Yes to Ubuntu. That’s what the late icon Nelson Mandela taught us. I am Scottish. However, the South Africans have welcomed me and they have shown me love and warmth.”

Speaker after speaker committed their organisations to stand up against Xenophobia and send out positive messages and pictures about South Africa going forward.