A crisis on our hands

South Africa made the front page of world newspapers for all the wrong reasons this week as anti-foreigner violence spiralled out of control. There has been no shortage of explanations of the root causes, as well as ceaseless casting around for a scapegoat.

National Intelligence Agency Director General Manala Manzini claimed the violence had been deliberately unleashed ahead of next year’s general election. He said that in the run-up to the 1994 democratic elections, “elements” that supported the apartheid regime had delivered weapons to hostels for use in attacking communities.

“We are beginning to see those movements taking place currently … into hostels where people are beginning to organise and resuscitate some of those people that they have had contact with in the past … to provoke and encourage them to unleash violence. That we are beginning to pick up.” He did not elaborate on who these “elements” may be.

For his part, Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils said that while there were “pure criminal elements” at work, intelligence agencies were looking very carefully at “other sources motivating this with their own political agendas”. He said that the intelligence services were working flat out to assess exactly what was at the root of the violence.

“I’m not pointing to any political party as such, I don’t believe that,” he said. “But at community level, at levels of organisation, residents’ organisations, we have come across some elements there who have been talking in a very anarchistic way. This has to be investigated; this has to be substantiated.”

African National Congress deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe said that when people were living in squalid conditions, “it takes only one incident [to spark violence]. The response of our law enforcements was delayed in my view.”

He said the majority of Zimbabweans living in South Africa are “people with better basic education”, while Mozambicans have skills as builders. “Therefore these illicit attacks are from our own South African brothers and sisters who have not had the opportunity to acquire skills.”

Former Cabinet minister Kader Asmal urged the government to declare an amnesty for migrants without legal documents. He said South Africans had “collectively remained silent” at the abuse, of police power, at the arrogance and cruelty of officials, the occasional heartlessness of our medical services and previous violence against migrants.

Asmal said it should be recognised that many migrants have a stake in South Africa as they have permanent residence status, which the Constitutional Court has recognised as providing them with entitlement to welfare benefits.

Now, despite all the words, recriminations and promises of investigations, we are left with an unfolding humanitarian crisis. Thousands of people, including those most vulnerable — mothers and their children — are camping out in the cold near police stations, many having lost their homes and all their possessions.

As disappointing as it has been to see South Africans turn on foreigners, the response of those who have provided aid has been heartening. Ordinary citizens this week visited some of the police stations and donated baby food and blankets. Committees have been formed and a march against xenophobia has been organised.

And as the week ended with violence flaring up in other provinces and tension still palpable in Johannesburg, some foreigners said they planned to leave the country — but what about those who have no choice but to stay on?

FULL SPEED AHEAD	NOT SO FAST
South Africans Specifically, the many South Africans who have donated food, money and clothes in the past week to the many refugees taking shelter at civic centres and police stations — some even volunteering at these places of safety. Hopefully their assistance will help convince terrified foreigners that not all South Africans are murderous barbarians.	Aziz Pahad In the midst of the wave of deadly xenophobic violence, the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister warned the media against “sensationalising” the issue. If anything, the media have been under-reporting events, as it has been hard to substantiate every tale of terror told to reporters; also, does the minister really label innocent people being burned to death as “sensation”?

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Most-read stories
May 15 to 21

1. Mob violence turns Jo’burg CBD into war zone
Downtown Johannesburg is a wasteland this Sunday. Marshall Street is criss-crossed with makeshift barricades of rusty barbed wire, tyres and chunks of concrete. In Main Street, shops have been literally disembowelled, their heavy-duty Jozi iron shutters wrenched off and their interiors cleaned out, stripped of every Pringle jumper and pair of Converse sneakers.

2. Mob violence sweeps Gauteng
Another foreigner has been killed in South Africa as a wave of xenophobic violence spreads across Johannesburg, bringing the weekend death toll to 13, police said on Monday.

3. ‘Third force’ involvement in attacks
The police have “concrete evidence” of a suspected third-force involvement in xenophobic attacks in and around Johannesburg, the Gauteng legislature heard on Tuesday.

4. Mbeki acts as violence explodes
As a fresh wave of severe xenophobic violence gripped Johannesburg on Sunday, with five people killed in the Cleveland area, hundreds fleeing to the safety of police stations and shops in the CBD looted, President Thabo Mbeki announced that a panel had been set up to look into the attacks.

5. Murdered for standing up to Mugabe
When Gibson Nyandoro raised his arm and slowly unclenched his fist to make the open-palmed salute of Zimbabwe’s opposition at a rally eight weeks ago, it was a moment so loaded with symbolism that it stilled the crowd.

6. Wave of hate engulfs Jo’burg
A wave of xenophobic attacks spread through Johannesburg townships on Monday. Mobs beat foreigners and set some ablaze in scenes reminiscent of apartheid-era violence.

7. Controversial Chinese arms arrive in Harare
A controversial shipment of arms from China and destined for Zimbabwe has arrived in Harare, the Weekender newspaper reported on Saturday — apparently thanks to assistance by the South African government.

8. Xenophobic violence grips Johannesburg
Hundreds of frightened foreigners fled to the sanctity of the Jeppe police station in central Johannesburg on Sunday morning following a night of deadly xenophobic violence that claimed at least five lives and left about 50 people injured.

9. Gauteng reels under xenophobic attacks
As the sun set on another bloody day of xenophobic violence in Gauteng on Monday, at least 22 people were reported dead, many more injured and 217 arrested for fierce attacks on both foreigners and local residents living in the greater Johannesburg area.

10. Will Zuma dodge trial?
ANC president Jacob Zuma’s corruption trial will not go ahead in August this year. The Mail & Guardian has established that the legal teams of both Zuma and French arms company Thint have told the National Prosecuting Authority and KwaZulu-Natal Judge President Vuka Tshabalala that they will not be ready to proceed on August 4.