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SADC TO HELP SOUTH AFRICA TACKLE XENOPHOBIA
April 30, 2015HARARE, April 30 — An extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) held here Wednesday has resolved for member States to work together to ensure that ongoing xenophobic attacks against black foreigners in South Africa are contained and will not recur.
In its final communiqué, the summit also commended the measures the South African government had put in place to deal with the attacks on foreigners.
President Jacob Zuma of South Africa briefed the closed-door summit on the recent xenophobic attacks in his country, whose victims included nationals of other SADC member States.
“While condemning the attacks, Summit commended the measures that the government of South Africa has put in place and resolved to work together to deal with the situation and ensure it does not recur,” said
the communiqué.
Responding to questions from journalists, the current SADC Chair, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, said the region should also ensure that no more people go to South Africa to prevent future xenophobic attacks.
“It’s not one just for South Africa to resolve, it’s for us, we the neighbouring countries, our people should not have the instinct of rushing to South Africa . I am suggesting that we the neighbours must do what we can to prevent more people from getting to South Africa and we can do it. And also trying to get those who are in South Africa to go back home,” he added.
“It was agreed therefore that what we can do, in the circumstances is not just to criticize but also to assist the government and people of South Africa to understand their situation and also to be tolerant.”
President Mugabe said President Zuma told the summit that his government was trying to educate South Africans on the need to treat foreigners as part of South Africa. Six people have been killed in the attacks and hundreds others injured, most of them citizens of SADC member States.
Zimbabwe has repatriated more than 800 nationals who had been affected by xenophobia.
SOURCE: NEW ZIANA