South Africa on Friday in Pretoria
sought diplomatic support from countries
across the continent to
tackle the ongoing
anti-immigrant violence in the country.
This was as a result of series of complaints
by foreign nationals that the South African
police are failing to protect them.
They said the crisis was stirring hostility toq
South Africans working abroad.
South African Foreign Minister, Maite
Nkoana-Mashabane, told a reporter after
the African diplomatic meeting in Pretoria,
that there was urgent need to nip the crisis
in the bud.
“We believe that working together we can
defeat this demon,” she said.
Malawian Information Minister, Kondwani
Nankhumwa, said on Friday that
government has hired buses to repatriate
500 of its nationals from South Africa.
He urged South Africa to provide greater
protection for immigrants, echoing
demands from China and the African
Union.
Kenya and some other African
governments have also offered to evacuate
any of their citizens who feel threatened.
Chadian Ambassador, Mahamoud Adam-
Bachir, said the Pretoria meeting had
helped to alleviate some safety concerns.
“It went better than expected, we were
assured of the security of our nationals,”
he said.
The Foreign Ministry of China, a major
trade partner of South Africa, said Chinese-
run shops had been damaged in
Johannesburg.
The Chinese consulate said it has lodged a
protest with the police and asked that they
ensure the safety of Chinese people.
Meanwhile, Petrochemicals group Sasol,
said it would repatriate 340 South Africans
working in Mozambique after local
employees at one of its gas projects
protested about their presence.
An industry source said Mozambican
employees at a sub-contractor for mining
group Vale had become “hostile” to South
Africans working on the Moatize project in
that country but there had been no
violence.
The police said at the Ressano Garcia, the
border post between South Africa and
Mozambique was closed after more than
200 Mozambicans barricaded a road
approaching the crossing.
The police said the traffic was later
resumed after they dispersed the
protesters.
South Africa, with a population of about 50
million, was home to an estimated five
million immigrants, from countries
including Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and
Malawi, and from further afield, including
China and Pakistan.
Many own shops or sell wares as informal
hawkers on street corners or in markets.
Periodic outbreaks of anti-immigrant
violence have been blamed on high
unemployment, officially around 25 per
cent although economists say in reality
much higher, widespread poverty and
glaring income disparities.y
