President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to remain calm in the face of the xenophobic violence that has spread across parts of Gauteng over the past two weeks.
In a televised address to the nation on Thursday evening, Ramaphosa spoke out against recent incidents of gender-based violence and the “deeply traumatising” attacks on foreign nationals.
The reportedly co-ordinated attacks have seen residents going on the rampage, looting foreign-owned businesses in Tembisa, Alexandra, Hillbrow, Cleveland, Jeppestown, the Johannesburg CBD and parts of the East Rand. Similar protests took place in the Pretoria CBD last week.
“The debris of several days of violence and looting continues to litter many of the streets of our country. People have lost their lives … families have been traumatised and livelihoods destroyed,” Ramaphosa said.
“At least 10 people have been killed in violence, two of whom are foreign nationals. No amount of anger, frustration and grievance can justify such acts. People from other countries on our continent stood with us in our darkest hours during the struggle of apartheid.”
He said people needed to stop disseminating fake videos and photographs.
“This misinformation is also being disseminated in neighbouring countries … causing panic. Let us not be provoked … this is a time for calm. It is a time for all of us who live in this beautiful country to confront our challenges directly and … not through violence but dialogue.”
MTN and MultiChoice closed their stores in Nigeria on Wednesday after they came under attack, while Shoprite’s stores at home and in Zambia and Nigeria were shut after being damaged in retaliation for the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The South Africa High Commission in Abuja and its consulate in Lagos, Nigeria were also closed following threats of violence, the department of international relations confirmed on Thursday.
