Mbeki addresses the nation to denounce South African violence

[struggle4progress]

Source: AFP

JOHANNESBURG .. — South African President Thabo Mbeki made a rare national address on Sunday in which he condemned anti-immigrant violence that has left 50 dead and 35,000 displaced as "an absolute disgrace" ...

"Never since the birth of our democracy have we witnessed such callousness. We must view the events of the past two weeks as an absolute disgrace," he said during an address broadcast on national television and radio ...

Cautioning against a return to the country's divided past, which pitted blacks against whites in a bloody fight to end apartheid, he said: "If it takes root, it will take us back to a past of violent conflict which no-one amongst us can afford."

"The shameful acts of a few have blemished the name of South Africa," he added ...

Read more: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_YqiZCBAvDab-osvP7hEG6Oi7pg

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Civic organisations address xenophobic attacks
May 25, 2008, 16:30

Speaking during a meeting of civic organisations at the Diakonia centre in Durban, Karthy Govender of the Human Rights Commission says an urgent solution should be found to the current xenophobic attacks.

The Solidarity against Violence meeting comes in the wake of the current attacks on foreign nationals in the country. Govender says the constitutional rights of foreign nationals should be upheld.

Speaking at the same meeting, human rights activist Ela Gandhi said South Africans should show their humanity and change perceptions of hatred. She says the problem should be solved by all South Africans, not the government alone ...

Meanwhile, the Methodist Church in Langa in the Cape Peninsula has suspended its church service to participate in a march through the township following recent xenophobic attacks in the Cape. Head of the parish, Mbuyiselo Stemela, says they want to encourage the community to be tolerant. Stemela says prayer services will also be held for the foreigners that have been displaced ...

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/social/0,2172,170260,00.html

S Africans march against violence

THE Red Cross in South Africa said yesterday it was caring for 25,000 displaced people following nearly two weeks of anti-immigrant violence.

The figures came as thousands of people marched through South Africa's biggest city yesterday, calling for an end to the violence that has killed at least 50 African migrants and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

The army also revealed yesterday it had shot dead a man in a Johannesburg township during joint operations with the police, aimed at quelling the tide of unrest.

"The Red Cross is helping over 25,000 people spread around 21 locations, mainly in Johannesburg," Red Cross director for southern Africa Francoise Le Goff said yesterday ...

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23755889-2703,00.html

[bean fidhleir]

1. "Never in our history..." Bullshit.

He perpetrated that kind of violence right after he took over from Mandela, only he did it against the people of SA. He did it to take care of the international bankers from the IMF.

[ohio2007]

2. and your solution to the problem is

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3325953

[bean fidhleir]

3. *My* solution? Would that I had the power!

I mailed Mbeki at the time, imploring him to make SA the country it should have been: one that keeps international bankers out and uses the wealth of the nation -and it is an enormously wealthy nation- to benefit all the people (as Hugo is doing in V., though Hugo hadn't started when I mailed Mbeki).

Needless to say, I never received even the most perfunctory response.

[Boojatta]

4. Violence against foreigners in South Africa spreads to Cape Town overnight

Page last updated at 16:05 GMT, Friday, 23 May 2008 17:05 UK

The BBC's Mohammed Allie in Cape Town says Somali shops were looted and one Somali killed and six others injured.

He says there have been shack-to-shack searches for foreigners and some local residents have begun flying the South African flag outside their homes.

(...)

There have also been new attacks in Strand, east of Cape Town, Durban and North-West province, where three people, reportedly from Pakistan, were stabbed and dozens of Mozambican and Somali nationals displaced.

On Thursday, troops were deployed to quell attacks - the first time soldiers have been used to stamp out unrest in South Africa since the 1994 end of apartheid.

(...)

Thursday night's unrest prompted some 500 people, including Somalis, Mozambicans and Nigerians, as well as Zimbabweans to flee their homes, some seeking refuge in police stations.

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7416256.stm