Post-World Cup Xenophobic Pogroms

ngoshwe · 2010-06-05T09:30:14+00:00

Cabinet Takes Steps to Keep Tabs on New 'Threat' of Xenophobia Johannesburg - Following media reports and unconfirmed rumours that xenophobia may erupt after the Soccer World Cup, the Cabinet has re-established an inter ministerial committee to focus on and deal with incidents and threats of attacks on foreign nationals. Addressing journalists in Parliament yesterday, Cabinet spokesman Themba Maseko said the committee had been re-established as a "pro- active" attempt to deal with the rumoured xenophobic attacks. "We suspect that these ongoing service protests can lead to some attacks on foreign nationals," he said. "There have been some unconfirmed reports that attacks might erupt after the World Cup. The (interministerial committee) is an attempt to deal with the xenophobia that might erupt." The committee will be convened by the police minister and will include the ministers of home affairs, social development, state security, basic education, co-operative governance and traditional affairs, arts and culture and international relations and co-operation. Mr Maseko said that the interministerial committee would liaise with civil society structures to ensure that a countrywide approach was adopted to prevent any violence. The Daily Nation South African protesters chant slogans "(The) government would like to reiterate that any attacks are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated," he said. Law enforcement agencies would deal swiftly with acts of intimidation against foreigners. A group of 10 prominent global leaders, known as the Elders, has voiced concern about the rumoured attacks. They said that xenophobia might erupt after the World Cup as jobs started becoming scarcer. "I think everyone recognises that with having the World Cup in SA there are concerns," Mary Robinson, a former president of Ireland, said last week. A recent study at Wits University has also warned of mass xenophobic attacks after the World Cup, while the TNS Research Surveys' Neil Higgs said that poor service delivery could spark these attacks. The xenophobia is also about competition about scarce resources like houses, water, electricity and also potentially jobs," he said. Robert Kadzima, a Zimbabwean national based in Khayelitsha, said that he would leave the country at the end of this month to protect himself from any possible attacks. "I have been hearing a lot of these rumours about xenophobic attacks after the World Cup. My South African colleagues have also been advising me to leave the country if I want to save my life," he said. Mr Kadzima said that the government was dragging its feet on the issue and was reluctant to protect foreign nationals. "I feel threatened and if the government is doing anything to protect us, I have not seen it." http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00011393.html

Thread starter ngoshwe
Start date Jun 5, 2010

ngoshwe

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Post-World Cup Xenophobic Pogroms

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