ZimRights urge Sadc to intervane in the xenophobic attacks

Local human rights group, ZimRights has called on Sadc to urgently intervene and stop the xenophobic attacks happening in South Africa.

"ZimRights condemns the recent acts of xenophobic violence on African migrants, who include Zimbabweans in South Africa.The physical violence, destruction of property and abuse of African foreigners constitutes a violation of human rights, which the South African authorities and society must end urgently," ZimRights said in a statement.

"The Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) must take the issue of the migrant population and the human rights problem of xenophobic violence as a regional problem that South Africa needs to solve together with source countries. The xenophobic violence should be looked at from all sides as a hate crime and symptom of a genuine migration flow exacerbated by skewed regional development.

"For Zimbabwean migrants, there are push factors that drive them to South Africa such as the economic and governance deficiencies, which resulted in about 200 000 Zimbabweans, leaving the country and getting officially registered under the Special Dispensation Permit that expires on December 31, 2017. Equally, outside Sadc, other African countries where migrants come, such as Nigeria, have security concerns."