The Zimbabwe Community living in South Africa has decried the absence of moral consciousness among those South Africans attacking other foreign nationals.
This comes after South Africa is experiencing another wave of gruesome xenophobic attacks against migrants, where lootings, theft and beatings have intensified over the past week.
In a touching statement released Tuesday, the Zimbabwean migrants said, they out-rightly condemned attacks on foreign nationals, noting that it was wrong to turn on each other.
“While we acknowledge and even empathise with South Africans on some of the issues they are raising particularly on crime, drug dealings, job shortages and illegal trade, it is disingenuous to articulate all this to foreigners,” said Bongani Mazwi Mkhwananzi, spokesperson of the Zimbabwe Community in South Africa.
He noted that social ills are a responsibility of the entire community which required a ‘sensible’ practical approache to solve them.
“It is not correct to loot and destroy South Africa’s infrastructure in the name of protest – what are you then left with! We acknowledge that many sections of the South African populace have condemned the callous acts of criminality which have even involved the death of people.
“We praise all progressive sections of society who empathise with the unsolicited plight of many immigrants,” said the spokesperson.
Mkhwananzi added that communities must reject acts of criminality and lawlessness disguised as attacking “illegal” and “undocumented” foreigners.
“We believe the South African government has the capacity to manage migration and enforce the laws and any by-laws necessary and any form of vigilantism cannot be helpful to the perception of South Africa as a nation particularly during this strenuous economic period,” he said.
His warning, also extended to those Zimbabwean nationals or others who may also be committing crimes to refrain from such.
“We further advise and warn any Zimbabwean nationals who may be committing any crimes to refrain from such.
“We are confident that the majority of Zimbabweans are hardworking and law abiding and many have been largely documented through the various South African government documentation projects, which we have welcomed and participated in rolling out.” Mkhwananzi said.
He also urged community leaders and politicians to stop making inflammatory statements that spurred people to act wantonly on xenophobia and criminality in the name of protest action.
“We urge law enforcement agents to work with foreigners as well to augment crime intelligence gathering and take proactive action unlike this time where they ignored numerous tips that these activities of xenophobic attacks were being planned,” said the spokesperson,
“Finally we call on social cohesion and harmony and combined efforts to solve the issues raised by the communities, Zimbabweans in South Africa live among.”
