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Xenophobia hub: SA verifying foreigners, foreign ministers ‘clash’

Village Reporter

September 6, 2019: SA conducting op on foreigners

Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says five nationals have been arrested in Pretoria following an operation by the South African security agencies.

Three Ghanaians were also injured in the xenophobic attacks of earlier this week, a statement of September 6 read.

“Our Mission in Pretoria has reported that three [3] Ghanaians have been injured in the xenophobic unrest. The Mission is ensuring that the injured Ghanaians receive the necessary medical attention.”

“It is precisely this kind of outrageous stigmatization of a people from senior government officials that fuel xenophobia and embolden criminals,” this is a Twitter reaction by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister to a pronouncement by his South African counterpart.

Naledi Pendor had been quoted as saying on Thursday that drug peddlers and human traffickers needed to be kept out of the country.

Pandor told local eNCA: “(The Nigerian government must) Help us address the belief and the reality that our people have that there are many persons from Nigeria, who are dealing in drugs in our country, who are harming our young people by making drugs easily available to them.

“The belief that Nigerian nationals are involved in human trafficking and other abusive practices. This kind of assistance in ensuring that such people don’t come to our country would be of great assistance to our nation.”

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READ MORE – Nigerians online reject reprisals on SA businesses

Bullet points of major incidents around the issue:

  • South Africa police operation to verify foreigners in Pretoria
  • Ghana confirms injury of three citizens, arrest of five others
  • Nigeria FM slams South African counterpart
  • Madagascar calls off friendly with South Africa
  • Air Tanzania suspends flights to South Africa
  • Anti-South Africa protests in DRC
  • Nigerian Airline to airlift citizens back home for free
  • South Africa says arrests at 289, death toll stands at 5
  • Kenya says two of its citizens were killed
  • South Africa must do more to stop xenophobia – Amnesty International
  • Nigeria issues South Africa Travel Advisory
  • Local airline, Air Peace, offers free evacuation of Nigerians
  • Nigeria pulls out of World Economic Forum on Africa, ongoing in Cape Town
  • Reprisal attacks were recorded in Lagos and Ibadan
  • Abuja issued statement calling for calm and restraint
  • Nigeria police beefs up security at SA-owned businesses
  • Regional body, Southern Africa Development Community, SADC; voices condemnation
  • Botswana issues South Africa travel advisory
  • MTN shuts all shops across Nigeria
  • Zambia shuts three South African malls
  • Zambia football body cancels match with SA

Madagascar latest to boycott Bafana Bafana

Meanwhile, the national football team, Bafana Bafana, have been released from camp after the football association failed to secure a friendly opponent.

Zambia withdrew from a planned fixture before Madagascar went down the same route. In both instances, they cited the xenophobic attacks as reason for their pullout.

“The South African Football Association (SAFA) has taken a decision to release the players who had been in camp whole week to go back to their clubs after the withdrawal of Madagascar team from the friendly match against Bafana Bafana which was scheduled for Orlando Stadium on Saturday, 7 September 2019.

“The decision to release the players was taken after the meeting with the players and technical staff.

“SAFA has consistently and strongly condemned the xenophobic attacks and the criminal looting of foreign and South African businesses and wanton attacks on foreign nationals and South African citizens.

“We reiterate our call that these criminals must be arrested and dealt with harshly. We have noticed that 289 arrests have already been made and we urge the authorities to accelerate further arrests and prosecutions,” the SAFA statement read in part.

September 5, 2019: SA consulate, businesses attacked in DRC, Air Tanzania suspends flights

Nigeria and Zambia, now its in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC; that South Africa is under attack.

Photos on social media showed that protesters had violently displayed at the premises of the South African embassy in Lubumbashi, capital of the Katanga Province. Police were deployed to disperse the protests.

Elsewhere, businesses belonging to South African brands have also been attacked and looted, reports have suggested. The local advocacy group, Lucha, had called for peaceful anti-xenophobia protests.

Over in the SADC region, Tanzania’s national carrier, Air Tanzania; announced that it had suspended flights to South Africa over the violent incidents of the last few days.

Works Transport and Communication Minister, Isack Kamwelwe, on Thursday said all flights scheduled for South Africa effective Friday had been cancelled till the South African authorities get a grip on safety of foreigners in the country.

“We have temporarily suspended flights until when calm is restored because we wouldn’t want to fly passengers to a destination with chaos,” said Mr Kamwelwe.

September 5, 2019: Airlifting of Nigerians from South Africa

A local carrier in Nigeria, Air Peace, on Wednesday offered to evacuate Nigerians willing to leave South Africa back home, the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that following the recent unfortunate xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, including Nigerians in South Africa, the Proprietor of Air Peace Airlines Chief Allen Onyema, has volunteered to send an aircraft from Friday, 6th September 2019 to evacuate Nigerians who wish to return to Nigeria free of charge.

“The general public is hereby advised to inform their relatives in South Africa to take advantage of this laudable gesture. Interested Nigerians are therefore advised to liaise with the High Commission of Nigeria in Pretoria and the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg for further necessary arrangement.

September 4, 2019: Zambians protest, MTN shuts offices

Students from the University of Zambia protested in the capital, Lusaka, against attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.

Reports indicate that hundreds gathered on campus and marched to a number of popular shopping malls and targeting South African-owned businesses. Three malls in Lusaka have been shut in the process.

The protests were largely peaceful despite scattered looting incidents. A section of the protesters marched to the South African High Commission and others went to President Edgar Lungu’s residence.

The president has since issued a statement slamming what he called “lawlessness” of the students.

READ MORE: Police on decline in public violence and looting in Johannesburg and Tshwane

South African grocer Shoprite Holdings said on Wednesday several stores in its home market, Nigeria and Zambia were closed and extensive damage had been done to several supermarkets over the past 24 hours.

The shops were attacked after days of riots in South Africa chiefly targeting foreign-owned, including Nigerian, businesses.

September 4, 2019: Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy ditch SA; victims lament experiences

Players in Nigeria’s entertainment industry have severally been reacting to the violence in South Africa with two of Nigeria’s biggest acts announcing that they have ditched trips to South Africa.

The first was musician Burna Boy, who on Tuesday tweeted that he would not be visiting South Africa ever again. In a tweet storm slamming the violence he also tasked the government to immediately find a solution to the crisis.

“I have not set foot in SA since 2017. And I will NOT EVER go to South Africa again for any reason until the SOUTH AFRICAN government wakes the fuck up and really performs A miracle because I don’t know how they can even possibly fix this,” he said.

For her part, Tiwa Savage, posted on Twitter that she had suspended an upcoming engagement in Johannesburg in the light of recent developments.

“I refuse to watch the barbaric butchering of my people in SA. This is SICK. For this reason I will NOT be performing at the upcoming DSTV delicious Festival in Johannesburg on the 21st of September. My prayers are with all the victims and families affected by this,” she said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, a number of African leaders who were expected in Cape Town for the World Economic Forum on Africa pulled out barely hours to the opening of the proceedings.

Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Peter Mutharika of Malawi were listed among those that opted out. The event has since kicked off.

September 4, 2019: Zambia president’s statement [Facebook]

I wish to condemn the ongoing attacks in South Africa in all its forms and manifestations.

Attacks of this nature targeted at foreign nationals call for urgent concerted measures by the South African Government and the regional bodies .

I call on all Zambians both locally and abroad to remain calm and disengage from acts of violence as they voice out their grievance.

I wish to assure you all that together, we are working on solutions to combat these acts of violence and bring back the spirit of Ubuntu.

Let us continue praying for peace and unity across the region.

September 4, 2019: Ethiopia issues statement

September 3, 2019: Ramaphosa Buhari reaction, Lagos reprisals

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted to xenophobic violence in parts of the country condemning the incidents as unacceptable and without any justification whatsoever.

In a video posted on his personal Twitter handle, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of restoring peace and security as quickly as practicable.

“I condemn the violence that has been spreading around a number of our provinces in the strongest terms,” he said.

He added that he was convening all ministers in the security cluster today to make sure that a very close eye was kept on what he described as “acts of wanton violence” and find ways of stopping them.

Ramaphosa said it was not right for locals with grievances to attack other nationals. He tasked security forces for their efforts at restoring order in Kwa Zulu Natal and Guateng provinces.

He also cited the fact that with an increasingly integrated Africa, South African workers also risked being attacked in other countries if others are to met out the same treatment South Africans are exhibiting today.

Reports indicate that looting and clashes with security forces continued today in some parts of the country. Police have also confirmed more arrests in addition to the over forty recorded on Monday.

Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe governments and the Somali community in South Africa have reacted to the incidents.

The African Union Commission through Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also condemned the violence and said it backed South African measures to restore law and order.

03 September 2019, Addis Abeba: AU statement on xenophobia in South Africa

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat condemns in the strongest terms, the incidents of violence against nationals of fellow African countries in South Africa, including the looting and destruction of their property.
The Chairperson is encouraged by arrests already made by the South African authorities.

He calls for further immediate steps to protect the lives of people and their property, ensure that all perpetrators are brought to account for their acts, and that justice be done to those who suffered economic and other losses.

The Chairperson reiterates the African Union’s Commission continued commitment to support the South African government in addressing the root causes that led to these despicable acts, in order to promote peace and stability, within the framework of the African Union’s longstanding principles of continental solidarity.

Ebba Kalondo (Ms)
Spokesperson to the Chairperson
African Union Commission

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