Mbeki condemns S Africa violence

“Never since the birth of our democracy have we witnessed such callousness. We must view the events of the past two weeks as an absolute disgrace,” he said in his first public address since the outbreak of violence on May 11.

 

Mbeki’s government has faced calls to take steps to quell waves of refugees and asylum seekers from other African countries, such as Zimbabweans running an economic meltdown back home or Somalis fleeing from a near-civil war.

 

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Attacks on immigrants have spread to seven of South Africa’s nine provinces, forcing many to flee back to their homelands.

 

 

But Mbeki, speaking on the UN’s Africa Day, urged citizens to be charitable to foreigners and said the country’s prosperity was linked to that of the rest of Africa.

 

“We must remain firm in our commitment to work hard to achieve the goal of the renewal of our continent, understanding that in this circumstance an injury to one is an injury to all,” Mbeki said, vowing to resist calls to force migrants into camps.

 

 

 

Mbeki deployed the army to assist on Thursday – the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994 – after a request from the police.

 

African Union officials have expressed shock at the attacks in Africa’s most developed nation.