/ 18 April 2015

Zuma cancels Indonesia trip due to Xenophobic violence

Opposition parties expect President Jacob Zuma on Thursday to answer on when he will pay back the money he owes from the building of Nkandla.
Opposition parties expect President Jacob Zuma on Thursday to answer on when he will pay back the money he owes from the building of Nkandla.

President Jacob Zuma has cancelled his visit to Indonesia in order to attend to matters at home relating to the attacks on foreign nationals.

“President Zuma was due to  leave for Indonesia this evening 18 April 2015 for a State Visit and to attend the Africa-Asia Summit and the commemoration of the historic summit in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955 which brought together Africa and Asia to push forward the struggle for liberation and self-determination,”said presidential spokesperson Mac Maharaj on Saturday. 

Maharaj said Zuma said Deputy President Cyril Ramahosa would instead attend the summit on behalf Zuma. 

“The President is to lead a stakeholder outreach programme in the country next week. Ministers and Deputy Ministers will also engage South Africans and stakeholders next week in an Imbizo and stakeholder programme leading up to Freedom Day, 27 April. The meetings will be focused on strengthening the existing support for peace and peaceful co-existence among all peace loving South Africans while also listening to concerns being raised by some communities.”

Maharaj said the president would on Saturday afternoon visit the displaced foreign nationals in Chatsworth in Durban. 

“His programme for the rest of the week will be communicated in due course,”he said. 

Maharaj said Zuma re-iterated his condemnation of the attacks on foreign nationals and has urged the police to continue working round the clock to protect communities and bring perpetrators to book.