SA govt deny xenophobia

However, Mthethwa has been heavily criticized by political scientists for parroting the South African governments claims that the attacks are the work of criminal elements and were not related to xenophobia.

About 20 people have so far been arrested following the violence that has been reported in the Western Cape Province. South Africans are not xenophobic by nature and this is the work of criminal elements, said Mthethwa. These are just sporadic incidents and everyone has a duty to educate our people about living together in harmony.

However, former Pan African Congress (PAC) chairman, Motsoko Pheko, said the South African governments refusal to accept that the attacks were directly linked to xenophobia sets a dangerous precedent.

This (xenophobic attacks) have happened before but the government is saying that there is no xenophobia. This is like hiding behind a finger because the evidence is there, It is very dangerous when a government acts like this, said Pheko.

It is very troublesome to some of us when South African citizens take it upon themselves to harass foreigners as if this is a banana republic. In any case, how can we call Africans foreigners when they are in Africa? he asked.

Dr. Udesh Pillay, who is from the South Africa Human Sciences Research Council, also called upon the South African government to publicly acknowledge the xenophobic attacks.

He said: They have to accept the facts because this is the only way to deal with the problem. We have to uproot this practice as South Africans because it will affect us socially. Imagine what would happen if South Africans from other countries are attacked.

The outbreak of xenophobic attacks, which have been reported mostly in the Western Cape Province, has seen thousands of immigrants from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Somalia fleeing the country.

There are fears that the attacks may escalate to the levels of 2008 when 62 people lost their lives following an outbreak of similar xenophobic attacks.