‘We’ll protect foreigners’

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SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma on Friday assured high commissioners and ambassadors to his country that foreigners in South Africa will be protected.

SOUTH African President Jacob Zuma on Friday assured high commissioners and ambassadors to his country that foreigners in South Africa will be protected.

STAFF REPORTER

He made the promises when new ambassadors from other countries to South Africa presented their credentials to him.

Zuma’s remarks come in the wake of reports of fresh xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals and looting of their shops and businesses by locals.

Speaking during the credential presentation, Zuma said: “We will ensure that all our people, including foreign nationals, always feel enveloped by an abiding sense of security wherever they are in the country.

“In this regard, our law enforcement agencies will certainly close the net on the brazen criminality which was displayed by some unruly elements against foreign nationals in our townships a few weeks ago.”

This was despite numerous incidents, where foreigners were attacked by locals and some killed during episodes of lawlessness.

Eleven countries presented their credentials to Zuma. These were Ghana, Nepal, India, Zimbabwe, Peru, Myanmar, Republic of Korea, Jamaica, Japan, Ukraine, and South Sudan.

Isaac Moyo is Zimbabwe’s ambassador to South Africa having been appointed by President Robert Mugabe last December.

South African media reported that Siphiwe Mahori (14), was shot dead in Snake Park, Soweto, on January 19, allegedly by Somalian Alodixashi Sheik Yusuf, when a group of people tried to break into his shop.

This led to days of looting of foreign-owned shops in the township and other parts of Gauteng in which at least seven people, including a one-month-old baby boy, were killed.

Four Ethiopians were attacked and wounded in their shop in Nsuze, near Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal.

Over three million Zimbabweans are believed to be in South Africa, mainly as economic refugees.