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At least six people have died in attacks – mainly on African foreigners – and reminiscent of the 2008 xenophobic attacks – people are being forced to take shelter in makeshift refugee camps.

The last-minute cancellation of President Jacob Zuma’s visit to Indonesia, where he was also going to attend an Afro-Asian summit, follows another death of a foreigner in Johannesburg and scores of new arrests in South Africa’s commercial capital.

Zuma’s says there’s no justification for the xenophobic attacks mainly in Johannesburg and the eastern port city of Durban.

They have been sparked by fears that foreigners are taking the jobs from locals in a country where the economy cannot accommodate one in three work-seeking adults.

There have also been unfortunate remarks criticising foreigners by Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and a member of Zuma’s cabinet Lindiwe Zulu.

Neighbouring Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique have announced plans to evacuate their citizens.

Nigeria is reportedly considering severing diplomatic ties in the mistaken belief that the attacks are aimed mainly at its nationals.
The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees says most victims targeted are refugees and asylum seekers who are forced to leave their countries due to war and persecution.

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He had expressed his anger at South Africa’s not knuckling down to regional regulations on conducting trade.

Some accuse South Africa of dominating trade. Other go as far as calling it a hegemon

But Mugabe was also desperate to get what he could for his cash-strapped country.

Having watched him talking to Cabinet ministers, officials and journalists at the Union Buildings and to business leader at their forum on the second and final day of his visit, I am convinced that Mugabe was wearing neither his street fighter cap not his pan-handler beanie.

He was here as trouper, a performer. Star of the show, even had his host not made a stab at upstaging him.

After the pro-forma welcome remarks following their talks on Wednesday, Zuma was obliged to watch his guest hold forth for an hour in the sweaty briefing room.

Not one of his now clichéd liberationist, anti colonialist, land-grabbing, state-control activist positions went unexplained.

Every one of his enemies from Ian Smith to Tony Blair was castigated.

He added Cecil John Rhodes as an afterthought – realising that we in South Africa are currently preoccupied with the mega rich arch-imperialist.

Half way through it, I found myself unable to avoid laughing.

It was like finding oneself foot-tapping at a Barry Manilow concert – or someone else one shouldn’t be seen dead enjoying.

At the business forum on Thursday, Zuma departed from his notes and rode his black empowerment hobby horse for half an hour.

The anecdotes and rhetoric were laid on by both parties – again to the delight of the audience.

Instinctive. Reductive. But gripping beyond the telling of it.

Did Robert Mugabe go home with anything substantive.

Hard to say.

But we certainly go our money’s worth.

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rained on.

Threatening autumnal skies have  moved them to take his red-carpet  welcome indoors although

the 21-gun salute will be fired over the statue of Nelson Mandela sweeping his arms over the

Union Building Gardens.

Ends intro

Robert Mugabe was late arriving for yesterday for his first state visit to South Africa in 21 years.

And he’s late for this morning’s official welcome by President Jacob Zuma and members of the

cabinet.

He’ll inspect a guard of honor before going into talks with Zuma and members of the economic

cluster.

Their signing of a trade agreement and joint press conference scheduled for,noon is now also

expected to be delayed.

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He says they are inexorably entwined. South Africa and Zimbabwe can stand together or fall together – but he doesn’t fear the will fall.

Robert Mugabe hour long tirade kept journalists Cabinet minister and officials crammed into the briefing room at the Union Buildings alternatively sweating and guffawing.

To the media that painted him as a dictator he says thanks for the publicity.

To Chinese friends who smoke most of Zimbabwe’s tobacco he advises caution but says if they want to ignore doctors orders , he promises his farmers will grow more of the leaf.

He thanked a South Africa for sending what he calls that odd fellow Cecil John Rhodes to his country.

The imperialist’s statue can stay in Cape Town, he says, Zimbabwe will keep his remain deep underground in the Matopos.

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