PRESS RELEASE
XENOPHOBIA ATTACKS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Zimbabwe Youth Council is condemning the xenophobia attacks in South Africa. We have been following reports of attacks against nationals of other African countries, including refugees, migrants and asylum seekers that took place between 1 and 3 September in parts of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
The Zimbabwe Youth Council has learnt from various reports that businesses belonging to non-nationals were vandalized, looted and burnt in several parts of Johannesburg.
It is to our great concern that in in most cases it is young people who are being used to engage in acts of violence yet at the end of the day they are the ones who suffer as the law will catch up with them.
Zimbabwe Youth council is saddened to learn that in addition to the loss and destruction of property which will inevitably affect livelihoods the xenophobic attacks have also led to the loss of lives. Zimbabwe Youth Council further notes that these attacks have followed from other recent attacks against foreign owned businesses Pretoria.
Zimbabwe Youth Council strongly condemns the resurgence of these xenophobic violent attacks as acts that not only constitute possible violations of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter) but are also contrary to the principles and ideals of African solidarity cherished in the African Charter.
Zimbabwe Youth Council expresses its alarm and deep concern about not only the recurrence of xenophobic attacks particularly against nationals from other African countries but also the level of organization and spread of the attacks in the past few days.
Zimbabwe Youth Council requests the Government of South Africa to take deliberate and urgent action to address the underlying social and economic conditions that ferment sentiments against foreign nationals, particularly those coming from other African countries, including through creating conditions for instituting community dialogue that promotes tolerance, peaceful co-existence and harmony in communities where non-nationals reside and work.
Ends
ISSUED BY: Tanzikwa Guranungo
Assistant Director –Youth Programming and Public Relations
Zimbabwe Youth Council
(0242) 756177/ +263 772 915 473
Tanzikwa Guranungo Sungano Chisina Kirsty Coventry UNICEF Zimbabwe UNDP Zimbabwe U-Report Zimbabwe Youth Connekt Zimbabwe The Herald-Zimbabwe Zbcnews Online NewsDay-ZimbabweMinistry of Information, Publicity & Broadcasting Services
