JOHANNESBURG Nelson Mandela Day national convenor Buti Manamela said MPs have been asked to use the day to help quell xenophobic threats against foreigners. “We are asking MPs to help the government to quell whatever threats there may be against foreigners. We are calling on them to take care of the refugees and asylum seekers and this is one of the critical acts that South Africans should be involved in, in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s birthday.” ?
The former president will spend his 92nd birthday today with his family at his home in Houghton, Johannesburg.?? Xenophobic violence which killed 62 African immigrants and displaced thousands of others two years ago has resurfaced in South Africa.
South Africa, which is the continents most prosperous country, is home to millions of foreign nationals, many of them living illegally and seeking better opportunities from failed economies like northern neighbour Zimbabwe.
There no exact figures of how many Zimbabwean live in South Africa but estimates put the figure at anything above two million or above a sixth of Zimbabwes total population of 12 million people. Locals often complain that the immigrants steal their jobs or lower working standards by readily accepting below market wages, while also overloading government social services.
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