News / Africa
Shelve xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans, Mujuru begs South Africa
17 Sep 2016 at 10:38hrs | Views
Zimbabwe People First interim leader Joyce Mujuru today made a passionate appeal to South Africans to temporally halt deadly xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans saying they are not in that country on a permanent basis.
Xenophobic attacks frequently flare up in South Africa resulting in deaths of foreigners.
Addressing a rally in Mamelodi, Pretoria, Mujuru asked South Africans to be patient on Zimbabweans.
"I want the South African government to understand that we are here to help each solve Zimbabwe problem.
"We are witnessing xenophobic practices because South African children are noticing that their jobs are taken by us Zimbabweans who are running away from home" she said.
Added Mujuru, "We can talk to the South African government after organizing ourselves and go back home.
"We are not supposed to create enemies here with our South African brothers and sisters. We want the South Africans to know that we are not here to stay for ever, we just want to be here for just a short while and go home".
"So I am pleading with my South African brothers and sisters that the xenophobic attitudes should be shelved, be put away just for a short while because we are tying to sort out issues at home" she said.
South Africa has experienced waves of xenophobic attacks in recent years, but early last year a flare-up in violence was linked to comments made by Zulu King Zwelithini.
He was accused of inciting racial hatred after he delivered a speech telling foreigners to leave South Africa.
They "dirty our streets" and their "unsightly goods [are] hanging all over our shops" he told cheering supporters in Durban.
"We ask foreign nationals to pack their belongings and go back to their countries."
Attackers accuse foreign migrants of stealing their jobs, blaming them for high levels of unemployment and crime in the township areas.
Xenophobic attacks frequently flare up in South Africa resulting in deaths of foreigners.
Addressing a rally in Mamelodi, Pretoria, Mujuru asked South Africans to be patient on Zimbabweans.
"I want the South African government to understand that we are here to help each solve Zimbabwe problem.
"We are witnessing xenophobic practices because South African children are noticing that their jobs are taken by us Zimbabweans who are running away from home" she said.
Added Mujuru, "We can talk to the South African government after organizing ourselves and go back home.
"We are not supposed to create enemies here with our South African brothers and sisters. We want the South Africans to know that we are not here to stay for ever, we just want to be here for just a short while and go home".
"So I am pleading with my South African brothers and sisters that the xenophobic attitudes should be shelved, be put away just for a short while because we are tying to sort out issues at home" she said.
South Africa has experienced waves of xenophobic attacks in recent years, but early last year a flare-up in violence was linked to comments made by Zulu King Zwelithini.
He was accused of inciting racial hatred after he delivered a speech telling foreigners to leave South Africa.
They "dirty our streets" and their "unsightly goods [are] hanging all over our shops" he told cheering supporters in Durban.
"We ask foreign nationals to pack their belongings and go back to their countries."
Attackers accuse foreign migrants of stealing their jobs, blaming them for high levels of unemployment and crime in the township areas.
Source - Byo24News
