Xenophobic Attacks Condemned by Business in SA

Xenophobic Attacks Condemned

An article published in The Times reports how business leaders have spoken out to condemn the spate of xenophobic attacks that have spread throughout the countries main provinces, claiming more than 50 lives since the hate crimes began in Johannesburg two weeks ago.

This weekend, police and the army carried out raids in hostels believed to be where many of the attacks were planned. A number of influential business leaders, including the Transnet chief executive, Maria Ramos and the SA Property Owners’ Association chief executive, Neil Gopal, as well as Business Unity heavyweights, Bobby Godsell and Jerry Vilakazi met last week to discuss the security situation in Alexandra, the township north of Johannesburg where the first attacks broke out.

Gopal has said that, “The property industry and the business community as a whole condemn the violence unfolding in South Africa. We call on our national and provincial leaders to come into the townships, the informal settlements and city neighbourhoods that have been hit by violence.”

According to Gopal, the constitution gives immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers the right to protection and he is worried about the “difficult challenge of reintegrating the people affected by violence into society.”

Chairman of the Vodacom Group, Oyama Mabandla said that, “The attacks on citizens from other African countries don’t do South Africa proud and they don’t do Africa proud.” The cellular giant has more than 23 million customers resident in South Africa, Tanzania, the DRC, Lesotho and Mozambique and believes that more effort is necessary to deal with the crisis.

Mabandla has called on political, religious, business and civic leaders to deal with the complex issues surrounding the obvious distress and conflict prevalent in poor communities. “Now is the time for all South Africans to stop this shameful episode in our history. We are calling on attackers to lay down their weapons and on our leaders to inspire confidence that solutions will be found,” he urged.

The xenophobic attacks continue to spread from Gauteng to other provinces in the country. Reports have been made of related violence in Mpumalanga, North West, KwaZulu Natal and the Western Cape. The President’s decision to deploy the army to aid police efforts to stem the violence seems to have paid off, but the question is for how long.

The information in this article is courtesy of Simpiwe Piliso (“Attacks mark a ‘shameful episode’ in SA history’, The Times, 27 May 2008).

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