Cabinet held its ordinary meeting in Cape Town yesterday, 14 May 2008.
The meeting discussed the recent violent attacks on foreign nationals in Alexandra and other parts of the country. Cabinet condemns these acts of violence in the strongest possible terms and calls on our communities to be vigilant and to avoid being manipulated by provocateurs who seek to exploit people's fears and concerns.
These attacks represent a dangerous tendency that is foreign to South African history and consciousness. For many decades, South Africans in Alexandra and many parts of the country have lived side by side with foreign nationals with no acts of violence.
South Africa is a signatory to the Geneva Protocol on Refugees and we will fulfil our obligations as outlined in this protocol. South African laws protect all foreign nationals, whether they are here legally or otherwise and any violent behaviour towards foreign nationals must be rejected by all.
The majority of South Africans are peace-loving people who always seek peaceful means of resolving their problems. South Africa's transition to democracy was one of the world's best testimonies of tolerance and peaceful co-existence and we cannot allow a few individuals to reverse and undermine our historical achievements. It is too soon to forget the hospitality that was given to South Africans who were in exile in the neighbouring countries and the rest of the continent during the days of apartheid. The support of the Frontline States in Southern Africa was critical to the achievement of the democracy we are enjoying today.
These attacks appear to be instigated by elements bent on taking advantage of the genuine fears of communities for narrow political ends. However, no amount of economic hardship and discontent can ever justify criminal activity and bigotry that these attacks represent, and any suggestion that poor service delivery and rising cost of living is to blame for these attacks must be rejected with the contempt it deserves. Equally, any suggestion that foreigners alone are responsible for the high crime levels is totally misplaced and detracts from the fact that many South Africans are involved in criminal activity.
Government calls on all community organisations, church leaders, political organisations, business and youth organisations to stand up and be counted among those who will actively discourage such tendencies and to use every available opportunity to educate South Africans about the need to co-exist with all foreign nationals.
An Inter-departmental Task Team will be set up on an urgent basis to investigate all the causes of these attacks and to make recommendations about action that needs to be taken to prevent the recurrence of this negative tendency. This task team will be convened by the Department of Home Affairs and will include departments of Safety and Security, Social Development, Health and the Department of Education and The Presidency,
In the meantime, the law enforcement agencies will use the full force of the law to ensure that no further violence takes place, and those who engage in, actively encourage and incite communities to attack foreign nationals must and will be brought to justice as soon as possible.
The Minister of Home Affairs will lead a government delegation today to visit Alexandra Township where they will be meeting the residents, and the affected foreign nationals, with a view to addressing the causes of the recent tensions.
This is an extract of a statement issued following Cabinet's ordinary meeting in Cape Town May 14 2008. Issued by the GCIS May 15 2008
