South African president condemns xenophobic attacks

JOHANNESBURG

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday condemned attacks on African migrants in his country, calling on law enforcement to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Last week, angry mobs in the coastal city of Durban raided homes and businesses of foreign nationals.

Two people died in the ensuing skirmishes, forcing migrants to seek shelter at mosques and a local police station.

"As South Africans, we owe our freedom to the solidarity and support given to our liberation struggle by people across our continent and around the world," Ramaphosa said in a statement.

He said there could be no justification for the attacks and urged locals to raise their complaints against migrants with the government, rather than attacking them.

African migrants are often accused of taking locals’ jobs by accepting lower wages, crowding social services and allegedly perpetrating crimes.

Anti-immigrant violence has been common in South Africa which hosts tens of thousands of refugees and migrants.

In 2008, about 60 migrants lost their lives amid similar violence. In 2015, seven people were killed in renewed clashes that left hundreds displaced from their homes and businesses.

Ramaphosa said the attacks on African migrant’s tainted the country’s image and economy, which benefits from extensive continental trade and investment relations.

"African development depends on the increased movement of people, goods and services between different countries for all of us to benefit. We will not allow criminals to set back these processes," he warned.

Earlier on Monday, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu met African ambassadors in the capital Pretoria to discuss the anti-immigrant violence.