“That these attacks are taking place soon after the recent inflammatory remarks uttered by some political and community leaders in South Africa, is quite disturbing and totally unacceptable in the modern civilised community of nations. We find it both extremely sad and absurd that fellow Africans in an African country discriminate against other Africans from other African countries,” said Obert Gutu, the national spokesperson, in a statement.
“It is quite disheartening that the brutal attacks on fellow Africans by their African brothers and sisters are happening at a time we are calling for a United Africa. This uncanny behaviour by some of our brothers and sisters in South Africa clearly contradicts the ethos and principles guiding the African Union (AU) and flies in the face of the aspirations of the founding values for a United Africa. It is sad that this ugly development is happening at a time when regional bodies such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) and the East African Economic Community (EAEC) are calling for closer ties among African states through the scraping of visas,” said Gutu.
“For some of our South African brothers and sisters to discriminate against their fellow African brethren on the basis of artificial boundaries that were created by our former colonisers is quite disconcerting and illogical to say the least,” he added.
The MDC has called on the SA government to investigate the causes behind the xenophobic attacks and bring the culprits to book. It also called on SADC and the AU to condemn the attacks and said if not properly handled they could degenerate into a genocide.
Post published in: Africa News