South Africa's President,Zuma vows to end attacks on migrants

South African President Jacob Zuma has
visited a refugee camp in the port city of
Durban after a fresh outbreak of anti-
foreigner violence.














Mr Zuma told those who had fled the
violence that it went against South African
values and that he would bring it to an end.
He was jeered by some in the crowd who
accused him of acting too slowly.



At least six people have died in xenophobic
attacks in Durban, with violence spreading
to other areas.

Migrants, mostly from other African states
and Asia, have moved to South Africa in
large numbers since white-minority rule
ended in 1994.

Many South Africans accuse them of taking
jobs in a country where the unemployment
rate is 24%.

Mugabe 'disgust'

In a statement, Mr Zuma said: "These
attacks go against everything we believe in.
The majority of South Africans love peace
and good relations with their brothers and
sisters in the continent."

Then, as he visited the refugee camp in the
Chatsworth area of Durban - after cancelling
a trip to Indonesia - Mr Zuma said in a
televised speech: "We are certainly going to
stop the violence."

Jacob Zuma: "We are certainly going to
stop the violence"

Foreign-run shops were looted and
damaged in Johannesburg on Saturday
Addressing migrants who were planning to
return to their home countries, he said:
"Those who want to go home, when the
violence stops you are welcome to return."
Mr Zuma said it was a minority that was
causing trouble, but the BBC's Southern
Africa correspondent, Karen Allen, says he
was heckled by some in the crowd who
branded his visit as too little, too late,
adding that they were planning to leave
South Africa altogether.

During the anti-immigration violence in the
past fortnight, police have arrested 150
people for public-order related offences.
Several thousand foreigners have fled their
homes to shelter in makeshift camps, and
neighbouring Zimbabwe, Malawi and
Mozambique have announced plans to
evacuate citizens.

On Saturday, Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe, speaking as chair of both the
Southern African Development Community
and African Union, said: "I would want now
to express our sense of shock, disgust, as
we abhor the incidences which happened in
Durban."

Small groups attacking shops in several
areas around Johannesburg on Saturday.
Police used rubber bullets to disperse
looters in Alexandra, a township north of the
city, with more than 30 people arrested.

Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has been
accused of fuelling the attacks by saying
that foreigners should "go back to their
countries". However, he says his comments
were distorted.

Official data suggests there are about two
million foreign nationals in South Africa,
about 4% of the total population. But some
estimates put the number of immigrants at
five million.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Highlight

My life under threat

 The human right activist, convener of #revolutionnow and formal presidential candidate in Nigeria,

Major news of all time