News / Africa
SA government to help xenophobic victims
07 Apr 2015 at 07:38hrs | Views
Johannesburg - The government of South Africa on Sunday said it would help foreigners driven from their homes by xenophobic violence, a week after hundreds were attacked near Durban.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, visited victims at a sports ground where they are currently living in tents. He said the government would help them return to their home countries if they wanted to.
"Our constitution says that everyone who is within the borders is entitled to dignity, to shelter, etc. So unless that is amended we have no right therefore to victimise people from other parts of Africa," he said in an interview with SABC
Most of the 250 victims of the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence in Isipingo and Umlazi, south of Durban, come from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gigaba added that he and his ministry are also ready to help immigrants who are determined to stay in South Africa.
The minister stressed that he was working with local authorities so the immigrants can return back to their communities where they have residence to continue with their lives.
"We will work... to ensure the reintegration, to address issues which have been the causes of them being attacked," he said.
The attack on the foreigners came a week after the Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini, the. said foreigners should "pack their bags and leave" South Africa. He was supported by Edward Zuma, the son of president Jacob Zuma who said that foreigners were a threat to the country.
"We need to be aware that as a country we are sitting on a ticking time bomb of them [foreigners] taking over the country," he warned
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, visited victims at a sports ground where they are currently living in tents. He said the government would help them return to their home countries if they wanted to.
"Our constitution says that everyone who is within the borders is entitled to dignity, to shelter, etc. So unless that is amended we have no right therefore to victimise people from other parts of Africa," he said in an interview with SABC
Most of the 250 victims of the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence in Isipingo and Umlazi, south of Durban, come from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gigaba added that he and his ministry are also ready to help immigrants who are determined to stay in South Africa.
The minister stressed that he was working with local authorities so the immigrants can return back to their communities where they have residence to continue with their lives.
"We will work... to ensure the reintegration, to address issues which have been the causes of them being attacked," he said.
The attack on the foreigners came a week after the Zulu king Goodwill Zwelithini, the. said foreigners should "pack their bags and leave" South Africa. He was supported by Edward Zuma, the son of president Jacob Zuma who said that foreigners were a threat to the country.
"We need to be aware that as a country we are sitting on a ticking time bomb of them [foreigners] taking over the country," he warned
Source - Levie Tsongo
