Mohadi blasts Zuma for lack of tact

HOME Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi yesterday expressed dismay over comments by South African President Jacob Zuma in which he appeared to suggest that Zimbabweans were largely responsible for crimes committed in his country.

President Zuma, speaking to journalists after convening a stakeholders' meeting in the wake of xenophobic attacks that have killed at least seven people and displaced several thousands, said 4,000 Zimbabweans were serving time in South African jails for various offences.

"There're criminal elements even among our citizens and we need a holistic approach to all these problems that were left by apartheid," Zuma said.

"There're also foreigners involved in drugs and other activities, but these also include our own citizens. For example, we've more than 4,000 Zimbabweans in South African Correctional facilities for various crimes."

Minister Mohadi was particularly irked by President Zuma's exclusive mentioning of foreign nationals from Zimbabwe when it is apparent that several foreigners from the region and beyond reside in South Africa and some of them are in jail.

"I personally didn't hear those comments, but if indeed he said that, then it's most unfortunate and we really wonder why he had to single out Zimbabwe when it's apparent that other nationals in that country also commit crimes," he said.

"His comments were inappropriate."

Mohadi said the government had the responsibility of protecting its citizens and this was the reason it had to move swiftly in providing logistics for the immediate evacuation of its citizens from South Africa.

Prominent lawyer Terence Hussein slammed President Zuma, saying his comments reflected his lack of tact and lack of control of the situation that was spiralling out of control in his country.

"I think those comments were made at a very inappropriate time," he said. "As a country which is a powerhouse on the continent, President Zuma should learn to measure his words as they can be misconstrued by some rowdy elements that have run amok in the last few weeks killing and injuring innocent Africans.

"I think that an apology or correction from him is in order."

Hussein said instead of finger pointing, President Zuma must strive to ensure that he puts in place mechanisms to ensure that such deadly attacks on foreigners will not recur.

Zuma has pledged to tackle the xenophobia problem by taking decisive steps to address "underlying" problems behind the attacks to ensure that foreigners are not targeted again in future. "South Africans are not xenophobic. If we don't deal with the underlying issues, it will come back and we've taken a decision that we don't want to see it again and therefore we are going to be working together with that determination," Zuma said.

The South African president said the violence was driven by "criminal elements" as well as friction between foreigners and locals. Zuma said no grievance against a foreigner could ever justify cold-blooded murder, the destruction of property and displacement of people.

However, many South Africans believe poverty and unemployment are major driving factors behind mobs in Johannesburg and in the port city of Durban targeting migrants from other African countries.

The latest wave of xenophobic attacks has seen the worst bloodshed since 2008 when 62 people were killed and over 30,000 displaced.

The South African government has since deployed troops to help police in trouble spots.

The latest violence flared up in the Durban area earlier this month after Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini reportedly compared foreigners to lice and said that they should pack up and leave the country.

Zimbabwe's Ambassador to South Africa Isaac Moyo yesterday told The Chronicle that the violence against immigrants and the looting of their shops that erupted this month in parts of Johannesburg and the coastal city of Durban appear to have abated.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned "the wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa" and expressed his condolences to families of the victims.

Several countries, including Zimbabwe, have started evacuating their nationals. The first group of 555 Zimbabweans who fled Durban arrived in Beitbridge on Monday and left for their respective homes the following night.

The highest number of the returnees was from Harare and Zaka.