The 10th of June will go down in history as a day of unity in South Africa as actor-comedian Desmond Dube invites the nation to join him in tackling crime through the Million Man March Against Crime.

Initiated by Dube, The Million Man March Against Crime is an effort to find a collective solution to South Africa’s biggest social malady. All South Africans, men and women, across all races and from all walks of life are urged to participate in the campaign that will demonstrate the power of unity. 

The history of the 'Million Man March' begins with the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, delivered his iconic 'I have a dream' speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

The March on Washington was attended by an estimated 300 000 people but became the inspiration for the 1995 Million Man March that brought an estimated one million people back to the very spot where Luther King had delivered his speech. Convened by Louis Farakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, the 1995 march was aimed at encouraging African American’s to register to vote in US elections.

According to Wikipedia, US voter registration statistics from 1995 revealed that 1.5 million black men registered to vote in the months following the march. 

The South African campaign aims for similar successes in raising the profile of crime as a matter of national priority and translating the dialogue about crime into action. The march will culminate with the handover of a petition to top government officials at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. 

Dube says the idea for the march emerged from experiences in which he was personally affected by the high levels of crime in South Africa.

“I have personally buried three people l love or who are close to me in the past 4 months, but [the march] is also about passion and the patriotism we have about our country.  Crime has affected a lot of people and a lot of the good things that our government has done.” 

Dube feels all crime should be condemned and eradicated and that so called lesser crimes – corruption of civil servants, theft at work, theft of personal and house-hold items, breaking into homes, business etc -  should be actively discouraged and punished along with violent crimes. 

“We as a nation tend to accommodate criminals, either because they are close family, friends, and colleagues and so on…. We need to have a change of mindset that says crime is not ok.” 

It is hoped that the march will force government to acknowledge that crime has reached dangerous levels. Dube believes that this acknowledgement will reassure the public and encourage the nation to redouble their co-operation with the state in combating crime and poverty. 

The Million Man March Against Crime is scheduled to take place on the 10th of June 2008. More details are available at www.millionmanmarch.co.za.

Source: South Africa: The Good News