RACISM is at an all-time high in Ireland, a leading anti-hate campaigner has warned.

Former ANC activist Patrick Maphoso, 41, says ethnic families here are living in fear.

And he warned the suspected race-hate killing of Toyosi Shitta-bey, 15, in Tyrellstown on April 2, won’t be the last.

Mr Maphoso – who was told while visiting a friend in Cabra, north Dublin, last year that he would be KILLED if he returned to the area – wants cops to do more to stop the attacks.

Abuse

He said: “The abuse is relentless.

It is a massive problem in Ireland and everyone has to act to combat it.

“I’m backing your Save Our Streets campaign to stop this bloodshed.

“I hope the silent majority will join us in standing up and telling these fascist scum they have no place in a modern society.”

Mr Maphoso has been a prominent anti-racism campaigner in Ireland since leaving South Africa in 2001.

He added: “People are being attacked in their homes every day and they are terrified of speaking out because nothing is ever done about it.

“I’ve already held meetings with the guards about racism but the attacks continue.”

Toyosi’s grieving mum Bola and his pals have been afraid to walk the streets since his death.

Family friend, Khagita Benjamin, said: “People are really worried for their kids’ safety.”

Cops have stepped up their efforts to target the bigots since Toyosi, an under-15 football star with Shelbourne, was stabbed to death.

Sgt Dave McInerney, 49, said: “Ethnic groups who feel vulnerable don’t have to live in fear, we’re always here for them.” Sgt McInerney and colleague Gda Jon O’Mahony, of the Garda’s Racial and Intercultural unit, last night warned racist thugs they face long jail terms.

They insisted cops were winning the fight against the racists, with the number of reported attacks down from 165 in 2008 to 121 last year.

And Sgt McInerney said he was hopeful there would be even fewer this year.

“We will not tolerate any forms of racism and I’d go anywhere to meet people who have been victims of brutal attacks to help bring the culprits to justice.

“We have a team of 400 ethnic liasion officers who are working hard to build good relationships. We’re also firmly behind your Save Our Streets campaign.

Trust

“Racism is an appalling crime but we deal in facts and evidence.

I need people to come forward and trust us.”

Gda O’Mahony added: “A very small minority of people are responsible for isolated racist attacks in this country and we will always do our best to bring them before the courts.”

The two officers are planning to hold public forums in Dublin where ethnic minority groups can voice their views and fears.

Patrick Maphoso mulls over the question. “About once a week,” he says at last. “Yeah, I’d say I experience racism of some sort here every single week.”

The South African has lived in Dublinsince 2001 and stood as an independent in last year’s local election. He failed to win a seat in Dublin City Council but he achieved nationwide coverage when he spoke of the racism he experienced on the campaign trail.

» Read More

“It’s about time that South Africans abroad do something and stop moaning about things back home.”

Patrick Maphoso has been living in Ireland since 2001, and is passionate about making a difference back home in South Africa.

Maphoso grew up in Pampierstad, a small town in the North West Province. Growing up in a small town “was good” says Maphoso, “we are a very close community, and everyone knows each other.”

While working as the security manager at Fourways Mall in Johannesburg in 2001, he was recruited by an Irish company who came to South Africa looking for security officers. “The money I was getting compared to the money I was going to get over here was one of the main reasons for moving” explains Maphoso.

» Read more of this story at The South African website

The Insight presented by Ethnic Minority Forum – Episode 3 from DCTV on Vimeo.

If you missed the programme you can watch it online. It particularly addresses the very important issue of government plans to tighten work permit rules that, if passed, could force people out of Ireland who’ve made their lives here and contributed enormously to our economy.

A SAMPLE OF THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM WELL WISHERS…

Wishing you every success

Having watched on Prime Time the level of ignorant abuse you have to tolerate on the doorsteps of Dublin I felt compelled to contact you and wish you every success in the upcoming elections and beyond.

Carol

Best of luck

I saw you on Prime Time recently and then saw your posters on the quays for your election campaign. I wanted to wish you the best of luck in your campaign and I hope you get elected. We need more and not less difference in this city of ours.

Never mind those bigots who equate your candidacy with the economic downturn this government had led us to.

Beir bua

Eoin

All the best

As an Irishman living in London, I was appalled to watch the recent RTE ‘Prime Time’ report documenting the racism you have experienced on the streets of Dublin. Despite its reputation for being a welcoming society, Ireland has always had a problem with racism, which is ironic given the numbers of Irish people who have settled in countries all around the world, always expecting to be welcomed. If I lived in Dublin, you would have my vote and I wish you the best of luck in the forthcoming elections. Do not let the ignorance of some get you down – the man who talked off camera of you “making him sick” on the Prime Time programme was a disgrace to all Irishmen – he would be considered a racist idiot in any country.

Fergal

Prime Time

I just wanted to say that I thought you handled the abuse you got from the incredibly ignorant and rude guy featured on Prime Time with dignity and composure.

I think that you are a brave man for getting out there and putting yourself forward for election in these difficult times when unfortunatley people become unreasonable and paranoid in relation to immigrants.

I wish you the best of luck in your campaigning sir and keep up the good work. We need honest people in politics in this country.

Alan

Racism and local organising against it

Paddy, great to see you standing up for yourself and others in the inner city. I used live there and am aware of growing violence against friends. I passed on your info to others organising in and outside inner city Dublin against racism

Good luck.

Dunk, a Dub now in Barcelona

An independent candidate in the upcoming local elections was forced to withdraw from canvassing last week following a threat to his life.

Following the incident, Patrick Maphoso said that no amount of racist attack or intimidation would stop him from moving forward with his bid for a seat in Dublin City Council.

» Read more in Metro Éireann

A SOUTH African-born independent politician was threatened with death by a gang of racist thugs.

Patrick Maphoso was canvassing for the local government elections when he was confronted by a mob who demanded he get out of the area.

One bigot roared: “Get off this road or we will put a bullet in your head.” Mr Maphoso, 40, said he was forced to stop his doorstep campaigning on the North Circular Road in Dublin but insisted he will not be scared off by racists.

He added: “I will certainly not be beaten by fascists. I have to go on for the people living in the inner city.

“When something like that happens it just shows how much immigrants in Ireland need a representative.

“The encounter I had with those two men just made me more determined to run for the local government election.

“People like them have to realise the world is changing and it is time for people to adjust to that.” Gardai have launched and investigation into the disgusting incident and asked anyone with information to contact them at the Bridewell station.
Mr Maphoso has also reported his ordeal to the new Minister of State for Integration John Power.

Chair of the Intercultural Work Group of Dublin North West Inner City Network, Ken McCue, said: “A rac-ist incident like this on our neighbourhood is an affront to the pluralist and intercultural society that we have been proud to develop in this part of the city.

“How sickening that this election candidate who came out of an anti-apartheid struggle is racially abused on our streets.
“This is a naked manifestation of fascism which has to be stamped out immediately.

“I call on Mr Power to take action to stop this behaviour and arrange for protection for all candidates.” A former ANC activist, Mr Maphoso – who is standing in the Dublin North Inner City on June 5 – moved to Ire-land with his wife Emily eight years ago.

And for the last seven years he has been fighting for the rights of immigrants here.

The dad-of-four said his prospective constituency has a population of 60,000 and about 60 per cent of whom are immigrants. He added: “I will win.”

DAILY MIRROR EDITORIAL

Racism is a stain on our good name

WHOEVER claimed Dublin is the friendliest city in Europe must have been in and out faster than a budget airline turnaround.

City election candidate Patrick Maphoso could have given them a different picture of his adopted home-land.

He was not only verbally abused over the colour of his skin, he received a death threat, with racist scum telling him they would “put a bullet in your head”.

The fact is that dubious travel surveys – or restaurant guides for that matter – rarely look beyond the obvious.

To brand a city the friendliest in Europe is usually a bold and inaccurate statement.

One only has to examine figures or case studies from equality or multicultural organisations to realise racism is alive, well and thriving in Ireland.

Since the arrival of immigrants and asylum seekers from Africa and Eastern Europe, many Irish people have disgraced our long-held reputation as a welcoming country.

Asylum seekers’ cases have not been helped by cheats such as Pamela Izevbekhai. But long before she was exposed, plenty of vitriol from hate merchants was directed at new residents.

And it is not the “few bad apples” – the problem is more widespread than that.

The racists behind these disgusting attacks were probably never taught values of tolerance, acceptance or equality. We are all shamed.

With non-Irish nationals making up almost 12% of the country’s population, The Africa Centre and New Community Partnership are on a quest to make the immigrant voice heard in the upcoming local elections.

Setting out to represent the immigrant community in Dublin, South African native Patrick Maphoso faces a much tougher task than your average political candidate. He has to ‘recruit’ his target electorate before he can even start campaigning.

Although they may not all be aware of it, immigrants are permitted to vote in local and European elections, provided they have been living in the country for at least six months by May 18. But unlike Irish nationals, they must go to their local Garda station and get registration forms stamped by a Garda authority – a bigger issue than it might at first seem. Maphoso explains: “Most people aren’t going to go to the Garda station – they have a fear of interrogation or that there might be a problem with their passport and people don’t need that. Some are afraid of deportation.”

For the past month, the independent candidate has been organising voter registration days around the city, in co-operation with The Africa Centre, the objective being to allow potential voters to collect their forms and have them validated by an official, all in the space of a few minutes. But even this part of the process is proving remarkably difficult to orchestrate.

“The last time we tried to get the Guards out here – two weeks ago – to stamp the forms, they didn’t show up,” Maphoso says. “The Africa Centre and the New Community Partnership made a formal request. They never came.”

Despite his dedication to the cause, Maphoso – who works as a security manager – is quick to point out that getting immigrants to register is not part of his job description.

“But I haven’t seen or heard anything from the Council asking people to register to vote,” he observes. “It shouldn’t be left up to people like myself who don’t really have the resources for it.”

Migrant workers hit hardest by economic slump

“…One man who works with some of the people queueing is Patrick Maphoso, who left his native South Africa eight years ago to settle in Ireland…”

» Read The Observer article