CCZ, ZEC call for urgent regional solutions to brutal killings in SA

CCZ, ZEC call for urgent regional solutions to brutal killings in SA
By Chibaula Silwamba
Wednesday May 21, 2008 [04:00]

THE Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) have called for urgent regional solutions to the brutal killings of foreigners in South Africa. And Zambia's High Commissioner to South Africa Leslie Mbula advised Zambians living in and travelling to that country to be very cautious.

Commenting on the continued wave of xenophobic attacks and killings that spread through Johannesburg in Gauteng Province yesterday, CCZ chairperson Reverend Moses Mwale said Southern African Development Community (SADC) heads of state should start discussing the killings of foreigners to avoid the problem spreading to other countries in the region.

He said in the spirit of regional integration, SADC should formulate protocols that would protect people from within and outside the region who migrate or just travel to one of the countries.

"If this issue is not addressed at SADC level it might become a norm in other countries. We therefore, urge our President Levy Mwanawasa as chairperson of SADC to meet with other heads of state to find solutions to this problem," Rev Mwale said. "SADC should come up with a protocol to address such issues as we talk about regional integration. Regional integration is not just about trade it is also about free movement of people."
Rev Mwale said it was unfortunate that South Africans could start killing people from other countries in the region when in fact they were kept very well during the pre-independence period when they ran away from the apartheid regime in their country.

"It's very unfortunate that such a thing can happen in modern era when we no longer look at ourselves as a nation but as a global village. To our South African colleagues, they should realise that the world is now a global village and we need to integrate," Rev Mwale said. "Today, South Africans may think that their economy is stronger than the other countries in the region especially Zimbabwe but not long ago they South Africans were vulnerable and other countries in the region helped them."

He observed that hooligans were painting a bad picture of South Africa ahead of the 2010 World Cup, scheduled to be held in that country.
"They need to change," he said.

Rev Mwale commended the South African government for putting in place measures to curb the killings.

And ZEC spokesperson Fr Paul Samasumo called for an immediate end to the killings.
"It's sad; violence is not a solution to anything. What they have to do is to stop the killings and foreigners have to be protected," Fr Samasumo said. "South Africa is a very important country and it needs to preserve its image. We, therefore, call upon President Levy Mwanawasa as chairperson of SADC to see what he can do at that level of heads of state."

And High Commissioner Mbula said people must be very cautious when they go to South Africa.

"As your representative here, I have taken keen interest in what is happening," said High Commissioner Mbula in a telephone interview from Tswane in South Africa. "I will be addressing the Baptist Church members in Mamelodi, I have been invited by the pastor there to go and talk. I want to talk to them about how other countries have tolerated foreigners. I want them to know that, in fact, there are a lot of Zimbabweans who have gone to Zambia, who are staying with their relatives because there are many of them in Zambia and Zambians are not making noise. I also want to tell them about how we looked after the entire region during the dark days of independence struggle."

He said when the killings started, the South African government was not proactive but after the diplomatic community raised a lot of anxiety on the matter, they started putting in place measures to rectify the situation.

"The government is addressing this issue, they delayed but better late than never and I hope that something can come out of this. In fact, South African President Thabo Mbeki has just announced, instructing the police to do everything they can to stop the killings," High Commissioner Mbula said.

However, he said no Zambian had been beaten or killed so far.
"If any Zambian is killed, I am definitely going to make a lot of noise but I do hope that nothing like that happens," warned High Commissioner Mbula.

According to Reuters, a wave of xenophobic attacks spread through South African townships on Monday and mobs beat foreigners, and setting some ablaze in scenes reminiscent of apartheid era violence.

Two people were killed and more than two dozen shacks were torched in the Tembisa township near Johannesburg and police, struggling to restore order, said at least 22 people were killed over the weekend.

Immigrants from African neighbours are accused by many in the townships, among South Africa's poorest areas, of taking jobs and fuelling the high rate of violent crime. Local media have reported about 20 dead since trouble broke out a week ago.
President Thabo Mbeki and ruling ANC party leader Jacob Zuma have called for an end to the violence, which threatens a new strain on an economy struggling with rising inflation, power outages and a skills shortage.

Hundreds of immigrants have taken refuge in police stations, churches and government offices.

Among the immigrants are an estimated three million Zimbabweans who have fled economic collapse back home.