Leaders of the Community of Zimbabweans in SA say NO to Xenophobia!

We are issuing this press statement with great disappointment and a broken heart over the recent extremely violent xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals by our fellow brothers and sisters in South Africa. My question is what has come over South Africans? Where is humanity?

The late Former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Laureate, Dr Nelson Mandela, as the first black statesman of the country preached reconciliation with former apartheid masters despite the 27 years he suffered in prison at their hands and evil system. We assume that he was burying the past to focus on the future thereby building a culture of forgiving and nation building.

We as Africans also embraced him as our icon too, just like the whole world did, for he was an embodiment of Ubuntu as entrenched in the African values. Where has that spirit gone? What happened to the much spoken social cohesion?

On behalf of the Zimbabwean community and other African brothers, we strongly condemn the attacks, and in no uncertain terms express deep shock that the attacks are very inhuman, unthoughtful and ruthless. We are calling on the South African government to reinforce manpower to protect foreign nationals from being butchered like cattle, or burnt at stake in such human hell of fires.

We also call upon the Honourable President of South Africa, H.E Jacob G Zuma, to genuinely address this situation with immediate effect and reiterate to the public the history of their liberation struggle that the freedom which South Africa enjoys today came through priceless sacrifices made by other African countries.

We also advise the Republic of South Africa that this situation is detrimental to economic growth and will cost the country millions of rands in Tourism revenue. It will also affect investor confidence, subsequently resulting in the country heading to an economic meltdown if genuine care is not taken.

We therefore call on the Zimbabwean community and other foreign nationals not to retaliate to such violence, but rather move quickly to places of safety if there is any within their vicinity in order for us to contain the situation whilst looking for a possible lasting solution.