South Africa on Sunday vowed to hunt down those
behind a wave of Xenophobic attacks, saying 307
people had been arrested over violence that has
left at least seven people dead.

The government stepped up its response to unrest
in Johannesburg and the eastern coastal city of
Durban, with Home Minister Malusi Gigaba
resolving to end “all acts that seek to plunge our
country into anarchy”.

Rioting and looting over the last two weeks have
exposed tensions between South Africans and
immigrants from across the continent, including
Zimbabwe, Somalia, Ethiopia and Malawi.

President Jacob Zuma on Saturday cancelled a
state visit to Indonesia to deal with surge in
violence, and pleaded with foreigners to stay in
South Africa.

Heightening public concern over the attacks, the
Sunday Times published front-page pictures of a
Mozambican man being stabbed to death in broad
daylight in the Johannesburg township of
Alexandra.

The photographs showed Emmanuel Sithole being
attacked early Saturday by a man in jeans
wielding a knife.
Sithole was taken to hospital but died of his
wounds, the paper reported.

“Perpetrators are being arrested, charged and
prosecuted,” Gigaba told a press conference in
Pretoria.

“So far 307 suspects have been arrested in
connection with attacks on foreign nationals and
public violence.

“We want to issue a stern warning to those who
lend themselves to acts of public violence. We will
find you — and you will be dealt with to the full
might of the law.”

Sporadic violence erupted again overnight in
Johannesburg and Durban, where an AFP
photographer said that one Zimbabwean’s house
had been petrol-bombed and his two cars torched.
The spate of attacks has revived memories of
xenophobic bloodshed in 2008, when 62 people
were killed in Johannesburg’s townships, shaking
South Africa’s post-apartheid image as a
“rainbow nation” of different ethnic groups.

– Repatriation plans –

Immigrants are often the focus for anger among
South Africans hit by a chronic job shortage and
the limited progress made by many poor blacks
since white-minority rule ended in 1994.

Regional relations have been strained by the
unrest, with Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique
organising for some worried citizens to return
home.

Buses to Malawi were due to leave on Sunday, and
Zimbabwe said about 700 citizens were expected
to be ferried out by bus within days.

Zimbabwe has about one million mostly-illegal
immigrants in South Africa, many of them working
in the service sector, on construction sites and as
casual labour.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said most
victims of the xenophobic attacks were refugees
forced to leave their own countries due to war and
persecution.

It said 5,000 migrants had sought refuge in
makeshift camps, but local authorities said the
figure was lower.

Zuma on Saturday travelled to Durban to visit one
camp, where he faced a hostile reception from the
crowd, which yelled “go home, go home” and “too
late, too late”.

He vowed to end the unrest and sought to assure
the crowd there was a place for foreigners in
South Africa.

“Even those who want to go home, they must
know that when we have stopped the violence
they are welcome to come back,” Zuma said.
The violence has been largely blamed on a speech
last month by King Goodwill Zwelithini, traditional
leader of the Zulus, in which he blamed foreigners
for South Africa’s high crime rate and said they
must “take their bags and go”.

He has since said his words were misinterpreted.
South Africa’s economy grew by just 1.5 percent
last year and unemployment is at around 25
percent — soaring to over 50 percent among
young people.

Gigaba stressed that foreign companies were still
welcome to invest in South Africa.

“Everything is being done to restore peace and
order,” he said.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/south-africa-vows-crackdown-against-xenophobic-attacks/

They should arrest that stu*pid king first before arresting the deluded murderers.

hmmm!

I pity their economy when all foreigner leaves.

Start from that animal iniciated king before we believe you!

Lies, how can Xenophobic people vows crackdown against Xenophobia? . Hypocrites