Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa. FILE PHOTO | AFP
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said on Wednesday that the matter came up at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has expressed concerns over the treatment of Zimbabweans in South Africa which has witnessed increased attacks on foreigners, some violent.
“Cabinet noted with concern the continued malicious reports on the social media depicting Zimbabweans as the chief perpetrators of crime in South Africa and highlighted the need to consistently supply correct information in the formal media,” Ms Mutsvangwa told journalists in Harare.
“Cabinet would like to assure the nation that government remains committed to ensuring that citizens are given the requisite protection and accorded the necessary dignity.”
South African government officials have in recent months spoken out against the alleged involvement of foreign nationals, especially Zimbabweans, in violent crimes.
Zimbabwe has the largest migrant population in South Africa as its nationals continue to run away from the political and economic woes at home in search of better opportunities.
South Africa has the highest prevalence of violent crimes such as murder, rape and armed robberies in Africa.
There are no statistics on Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa, but President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government revealed this week that over 170,000 of them could be forced to return home in December after the expiry of their special permits.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs said only 6,000 of the 178,000 Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) holders had applied to have their special permits renewed before the December deadline.
Pretoria last year decided to scrap the ZEP permits that were first introduced in 2009 to cater to the undocumented Zimbabweans and allow the holders to apply for residence and work permits through the normal channels.
Civil society groups have been fighting the move by the government to end the special dispensation in the courts saying the situation in Zimbabwe has not changed to warrant the immigrants’ return.
South Africa has been under pressure to clamp down on illegal immigrants with vigilante groups sprouting around the country to push for the removal of foreign nationals.
There have been several marches in South African cities such as Johannesburg against the presence of foreign nationals and sometimes this has led to violent xenophobic attacks.
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If South Africans claim that their resources are strained by foreigners, what then should countries like the UK and USA say which have citizens from all over the world? Whilst we condemn criminal activities, the more people a country has, the more its economy should develop and South Africa is not exploiting that opportunity. If South Africans think that Zimbabweans are responsible for the decline of their economy, the Zimbabwe Government should take all its citizens back we’ll see if their economic challenges are resolved Developments in South Africa against immigrants clearly shows that the country is not yet independent and SADC should urgently take a strong measure against RSA. All African countries should concerntrate on improving their economies and stop relying on SA and even if it means isolating it for now until it respects its fellow African brothers and sisters.
How can a black person attack a fellow black person in Africa? The recent outburst by that Doctor against a sick foreign national is a clear sign of satanism and lacks ubuntu. Even at war, you can treat your enemy and can’t leave him or her to die. That Doctor has not only tarnished the image of South African Government but also made the whole of Africa a loughing stock! Where in other continents have you heard anything about that? South Africa should stop blaming foregners for its failures because those foreigners are working and contributing to the development of it’s economy. If South Africans claim that their jobs are being taken by foreigners, where are they when these jobs are taken? It means they are lazy and do not want to work. Companies should not be forced to choose whom they have to employ as long as that person has the attributes required for that job. Whites are freely roaming the streets of SA but a fellow black is attacked by another black person. Thats pathetic! Its high time Africa nations convene an extra ordinary meeting and put SA in its rightfull position.
That is total discrimination why only people from a particular country. even the natives are involved into crime because the state has a problem of job shortage.