To the South African Ambassador.
We, the people of Zimbabwe, standing in solidarity with our brethren in Africa, strongly condemn and denounce the current senseless and gruesome xenophobic slaughter of foreign nationals and the looting of their properties in South Africa. We call upon the South African Government to urgently ensure the full protection of all foreign nationals and their properties.
We call upon the Government of South Africa, in line with provisions in their Constitution and International legal obligations, to protect the rights of all people living in South Africa and to address the root causes of xenophobia.
We demand that the South African Police Service and the South African Human Rights Commission thoroughly investigate the xenophobic attacks and hold all those responsible accountable. We note with disappointment that perpetrators of previous xenophobic violence were not held accountable for the killing of more than 60 people across South Africa in 2008.
We wish to remind the South African Government of how other African countries including Zimbabwe, sacrificed their socio-economic and political resources in solidarity with South African liberation movements to bring an end to evil apartheid. In light of these extreme sacrifices by African people, we expect the South African authorities and its citizens to reciprocate the solidarity through Ubuntu and shunning of Xenophobia.
We are extremely disgusted by the reckless xenophobic utterances by senior political figures such as Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini, Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu and President Zuma’s son Edward that continue to incite violence against foreign nationals.
We are concerned by the South African Government’s very slow reaction to the rapidly spreading wave of xenophobic violence.
We call upon the South African Government to:
1. Be proactive and protect the rights of all people living in South Africa, in line with provisions in their Constitution and international legal obligations and address the root causes of xenophobia.
2. Thoroughly investigate the xenophobic attacks and hold all those responsible accountable.
3. Ensure that the South African Human Rights Commission investigates xenophobic comments reportedly made by Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, Edward Zuma and Small Business Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu and take appropriate action.
Endorsed by Civil Society Organisations:
1. Heal Zimbabwe Trust (HZT)
2. Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe
3. Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
4. Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
5. Media Centre
6. Combined Harare Residents' Association (CHRA)
7. Centre for Community Development Zimbabwe (CCDZ)
8. Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI)
9. Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum
10. Tag a Life International
11. Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT)
12. Student Christian Movement in Zimbabwe (SCMZ)
13. National Peoples’ Actions Council (NPAC)
14. Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (RTUZ)
15. Zimbabwe Coalition of Debt and Development (ZIMCODD)
16. Zimbabwe Young Women Network for Peace
17. Chitungwiza Residents' Trust (CHITREST)
18. Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of Offenders (ZACRAS)
19. Civic Education Trust (CIVNET)
20. YODAN
21. Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe (YIDEZ)
22. Unemployment Youth Organisations (UYO)
23. Youth Environmental Management and Protection (YEMAP)
24. National Youth Alliance for Action (NYAA)
25. OVAS
26. Youth Alliance for Democracy (YAD)
27. Youth Agenda Trust (YAT)
28. Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CZC)
29. Female Students Network (FSN)
30. Zimbabwe Organization of Youths in Politics (ZOYP)
Post published in: Zimbabwe News