Address underlying causes of violence: Zuma

President Jacob Zuma during 2015 National Freedom Day Celebrations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. South Africa. 27/04/2015. Siyabulela Duda

President Jacob Zuma during 2015 National Freedom Day Celebrations at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. South Africa. 27/04/2015. Siyabulela Duda

Published Apr 28, 2015

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Tankiso Makhetha and African News Agency

PRETORIA:

President Jacob Zuma yesterday said there was a need to look into the reasons many foreign nationals opted to seek refuge in South Africa.

He was speaking during his Freedom Day keynote address at the Union Buildings against the backdrop of recent xenophobic attacks, which left seven people dead and thousands displaced.

“The latest outbreak of violence necessitates more comprehensive action from all of us to ensure that there is no recurrence of such incidents. We have to address the underlying causes of the violence and tensions which is the legacy of poverty, unemployment and inequality in our country and our continent, and the competition for limited resources,” Zuma said.

He said this has prompted the government to find solutions to the challenge of migration by working with representatives of foreign nationals and their governments.

Zuma told the crowd that 14 ministers had been assigned to uncover the underlying causes and find solutions to the problems which led to the attacks.

“I have met with leaders representing foreign nationals, while ministers have met the communities in imbizos to find lasting solutions to this challenge,” Zuma said.

He said the government had taken note of the complaints raised by South Africans and foreign nationals and these would be attended to.

Complaints included the increasing number of illegal and undocumented foreign nationals in the country, that foreign nationals were benefiting from government facilities and that some foreign nationals were behind crimes committed in the country.

“But we have also received complaints from foreign nationals about their governments and why they ran away from their countries. You ask yourself, why they would jump all the countries to get to South Africa? We can’t be critical of other countries, but it’s because South Africa is a safer country.

“Our brother countries need to answer why their citizens are here. We don’t group foreign nationals and criticise them. But I am happy to discuss this with the African Union,” Zuma said.

However, Zuma said the government had improved security at borders in seven provinces to prevent illegal migration. This included deploying the army to patrol.

“We cannot leave the borders and hope that the angels or ancestors will guard,” he said.

There was a lot of anger in South Africa, coupled with a propensity to use violence.

“This results from years of apartheid dehumanisation. We need to do more to promote healing and tolerance amongst all our people. Linked to this is the need to continue efforts to fight racism, which continues to be a challenge.”

Meanwhile, a diplomatic row is deepening between Nigeria and South Africa after the former recalled its acting high commissioner from Pretoria.

Zuma hosted a meeting with immigrant organisations at his presidential guesthouse in Pretoria on Friday.

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