South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma has dismissed the recent attacks on foreigners in his country as mere acts of crime and not a sign of xenophobia.
Zuma made this controversial statement during a chat with journalists in Pretoria, saying he does not feel that the current spate of violence against foreign nationals in South Africa is xenophobic.
“Yes it is a concern but crime depends on the circumstances‚” he said. “There was a time in Johannesburg when attacks were between hostel dwellers and those who were staying in the townships. You couldn’t say there was xenophobia‚ you couldn’t say you were xenophobic.”
He continued, “We have been staying here with foreigners for centuries. Some have come here and settled here. There are not always attacks. If you observe‚ you will realise that we do not have refugee camps in SA. Foreigners stay with us‚ they are not separated or segregated.”
“We stay with them‚ they open businesses‚ our people buy from them – until there is an incident that make the attacks look like they are xenophobic,” he insists.
This comes just days after new xenophobic attacks were reported in South Africa following an anti-immigrant protest which resulted in violence in the country’s administrative capital. This march was planned in January, and back then, citizens claimed it was not an act of xenophobia.
“When other people demonstrate they are not welcoming to foreigners‚ it is not said they are xenophobic. As you know there is an ongoing problem in Europe‚ wherein the refugees that are coming in‚ countries are saying they don’t want them‚ but no one is saying they are xenophobic,” he said.
Adding, “It is just like when there is something wrong with Africans‚ it’s corruption. If it’s done not by us (sic)‚ it’s collusion‚ but it’s exactly the same thing. We should not highlight that and give a wrong impression than South Africans are xenophobic.”
