Buthelezi, Gigaba apologise to foreigners

South Africa's Home Affairs minister Melusi Gigaba has acted as a respectable leader and apologised to foreigners attacked on South African soil, a day after the Inkhata Freedom Party(IFP) leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi apologised. Several foreign nationals were attacked in Isipingo and Umlazi, South of Durban last week.

Gigaba addressed the foreigners who are being accommodated in temporary
shelters because of last week's attack. About 250 men women and children, most from the Democratic Republic of Congo, were attacked, their shops looted and belongings stolen. One Congolese man was burnt alive and died.

He urged foreigners who have documentation problems to approach home affairs officials.

One of the refugees commended Gigaba's and Buthelezi's actions as being honorable.

"It takes an honorable and humble man to apologise for a wrong done. What the minister and IFP leader is honorable," he said, "We hope that government will help us get back to our normal lives."

Some want to go back home.

"I think I'd rather be killed in my own country than here," says Gilbert Akilimali an asylum Seeker from the DRC.

The government says it will  work with the United Nations High Commission to help the refugees, both those who want to stay and those who want to go back home.  

IFP leader Buthelezi apologised to the foreigners and said it was unacceptable that people from African countries that provided refuge for South Africans who were in exile are now being attacked in this country.

Both apologies come after King Goodwill Zwelithini's call for foreigners to go back to their countries of origin which sparked violent attacks against foreigners in Isipingo and Umlazi. However, Zwelithini has since refused to apologise saying that he never said such a thing.