Saturday 18 April 2015

S.A xenophobic attack updates: For the first time Mugabe condemns 'horrible' xenophobic attacks. S.A. neighbouring countries react.

For the first time Mugabe condemns 'horrible' xenophobic attacks
President Robert Mugabe on Saturday expressed his "shock and disgust" at "horrible" xenophobic attacks in neighbouring South Africa in his first public reaction to the violence that has swept parts of Durban and Johannesburg. Various reactions are trailing the violence in South Africa from neighbouring African countries. Some have stopped playing South African songs in protest.



Addressing crowds gathered in the pouring rain in Harare for official celebrations of Zimbabwe's 35th anniversary of independence, Mugabe said: "The act of treating other Africans in that horrible way can never be condoned by anyone." Our own African people on the African continent must be treated with respect. If there is any issue arising from influx [of foreigners]... surely that can be discussed and measures can be taken to deal with and address the situation," Mugabe said towards the end of a 30-minute speech at Harare's national sports stadium. 

Two Zimbabweans and number of Nigeerians alongside other African people are believed to be among the almost 100 people believed to have been killed in the attacks.  

Zimbabwe is preparing to repatriate more than 1 500 of its citizens in the wake of the attacks, which broke out shortly after Mugabe made a state visit to South Africa with his wife Grace earlier this month. 

"We say on our behalf and on behalf of SADC and indeed on behalf of the African Union: That must never happen again. Never happen again in South Africa or any other country," said the 91-year-old president, who is currently the chair of the AU and Southern African Development Community. 

"We are glad that President Zuma has expressed his abhorrence just as we are doing at what happened," Mugabe said. The attacks have outraged Zimbabweans and many were waiting to hear whether Mugabe would speak out against them in his speech. His ruling Zanu-PF party has already condemned the attacks.
Zimbabwean, Information Minister Jonathan Moyo
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean, Information Minister Jonathan Moyo said Friday that South Africa needs to "critically re-examine its identity crisis" in the wake of the xenophobic violence that has swept through parts of the country.

"The essence of being African is not defined by geographical location," Moyo said in a tweeted reaction to a comment from President Jacob Zuma about Africa Day celebrations next month.

Condemning the violence that has displaced thousands of foreigners in and around Durban and Johannesburg, Zuma said on Thursday that South Africans were looking forward to celebrations of Africa Day on May 25 "in every province".

Moyo tweeted: "Only that May 25 not a public holiday in SA!"

As one of the few Zimbabwean ministers who is active on social networking sites, Moyo has been vocal in his condemnation of the xenophobic attacks.

In another tweet on Friday, he said: "Africans who saw SA as an exemplary constitutional democracy now know it as a xenophobic place."



Neighbouring South Africa on Friday prepared to evacuate their citizens from South Africa as the UN raised the alarm over deadly xenophobic attacks which have displaced thousands.

"In South Africa, xenophobic attacks over the last three weeks have... displaced over 5,000 foreign nationals," the UN refugee agency said, adding it was "extremely concerned".

"We would like to underscore that those affected in these xenophobic attacks are refugees and asylum seekers who were forced to leave their countries due to war and persecution," the UNHCR said.

The anti-foreigner violence, which erupted in the eastern port city of Durban, has spread to the economic hub, Johannesburg. Foreigners who have fled their homes are sheltering in makeshift camps.

Neighbouring Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique announced plans to evacuate their citizens, as the violence drew regional outrage.

Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa, Isaac Moyo said the repatriation of about 1,500 Zimbabweans from Durban would start on Sunday.

In Harare, demonstrators marched to the South African embassy to condemn what they called the "senseless and gruesome slaughter" of fellow Africans.

In Mozambique, a group of about 200 on Friday blockaded the southern Lebombo border with South Africa, stoning South African vehicles.

"The demonstrators blocked the road for half an hour, refusing to allow cars with South African registration plates to pass," Moamba district police commander Alfonso Rocco told AFP.


In Zambia, a privately-owned radio station has stopped playing South African music in protest against the xenophobic attacks. "Radio QFM has blacked out the playing of South African music effective today, April 17th in protest against xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals taking place in that country," QFM managing director Asan Nyama said in a statement posted on the station's website.

South African singer Kelly Khumalo was forced to postpone performances in London because of outrage, while Big Nuz -- a group that plays the popular Kwaito dance music genre -- had to cancel a concert in Zimbabwe, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said Friday.

The anger in neighbouring countries was exacerbated by the fact that they hosted thousands of South African exiles during the struggle against apartheid -- a point that President Jacob Zuma raised in a speech to parliament Thursday.

"We were treated with generosity, dignity and respect by our brothers and sisters on the rest of the continent," Zuma said, noting that their solidarity was "critical to achievement of freedom and democracy we are enjoying today".

King Goodwill Zwelithini
The latest violence has been largely blamed on a speech last month by King Goodwill Zwelithini, traditional leader of the Zulus, in which he blamed foreigners for South Africa's high crime rate and said they must "take their bags and go".


The king has since said his words were misinterpreted, but for some, Zwelithini simply articulated what many were feeling.

South Africa's relatively sophisticated economy attracts both legal and illegal African immigrants, but massive inequalities and high unemployment among locals breed resentment against them.

"We believe that the cause of the xenophobic attacks is policy failure by the government," said Mienke Mary Steytler, of the South African Institute of Race Relations. "High unemployment and inequality are not being tackled."


The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the "barbaric, criminal and xenophobic murder of innocent foreigners", calling on the South African government to act quickly to end the violence.

This is not the first wave of anti-foreigner violence in South Africa. In January, foreign shopkeepers in and around the vast township of Soweto, south of Johannesburg, were forced to flee and six were killed as looters rampaged through the area.

And in 2008, 62 people were killed in xenophobic violence across the city's townships.


-New Zeimbabwe
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