President Jacob Zuma South
Africa has apologised to Mozambicans Wednesday, May 20, 2015 for a recent
outbreak of xenophobic violence in which at least seven people died and
hundreds of migrants were forced to flee their homes.
Speaking at the start of
a two-day state visit to Maputo, Zuma said the attacks — which included the
murder of a Mozambican man captured by a press photographer — “shocked us and
disturbed us”.
President Zuma said:
“The Mozambicans are our
brothers, our sisters, that’s like a family problem really.” Rampant
unemployment and poverty are seen as contributing to the violence by South
Africans, who accuse migrants from Mozambique and other neighbouring countries
of stealing their jobs.
Since the end of apartheid 21
years ago, South Africa has attracted millions of migrants seeking a better
life in the continent’s most advanced economy. Zuma pledged to address “some of
the underlying factors” to ensure that the attacks against foreigners did not
erupt again, without elaborating. While condemning the violence, South Africa
has also cracked down in a series of raids in which 1,650 illegal immigrants
have been arrested.
More than 400 Mozambicans were
expelled on Friday and 427 others are slated to be deported soon. Zuma is in
Maputo at the invitation of President Filipe Nyusi, with the visit set to focus
on bilateral and regional cooperation. Mozambique is South Africa’s top trading
partner in Africa, with two-way trade worth 43.9 billion rand ($3.7 billion)
last year.
0 Comments