xenophobia Archives - Jean-Jacques Cornish

German President says Germany has constantly to live up to the forgiveness it was given

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 22:00:00 +0000

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier says South Africa is a reminder that Europe is not the only place people migrate to when they’re force to flee their countries.

He was speaking at the apartheid museum in Johannesburg on the eve of his state visit to South Africa.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier says the history of Germany and South Africa cannot be separated from the dark chapters that preceded it.

He says Germany received forgiveness as a gift and its has constantly to live up to this.

He regrets that walls are getting higher in a society where the tone is rougher and more intrasigent.

Overcoming racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia is a constant obligation.

He looks forward to South Africa and Germany both occupying two-year rotating seats on the United Nations Security Council from next year and cooperating on peacekeeping, fighting climate change and enhancing international health care.

The post German President says Germany has constantly to live up to the forgiveness it was given appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Death toll from attacks on foreign shops rises to four

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 22:00:00 +0000

A fourth person has died in three days of looting foreign-owned shops around Johannesburg.

The shop owners say the attacks started after a newspaper reports that they were selling fake and expired goods which they strongly deny.

A woman who was with a group of looters at a township west of Johannesburg was shot dead yesterday (Friday).

No arrested have been made with regards this incident. Police are waiting for the woman’s family to identify her.

On Wednesday and Thursday three people were shot during looting in the giant township of Soweto.

Police have made 27 arrests in connection with this.

They include one Somali who allegedly fired at a young man taking goods from his store.

All four victims are South African.

No foreigners have been killed.

Residents have attacked one another trying to get possession of stolen goods.

The attacks were most led by youths who broke locks and removed stock while the owners either fled or hid.

Police have seized goods from foreign-owned shops and health authorities are testing the food for freshness.

Both Johannesburg and Durban were centre of the worst outbreak of xenophobic violence in 2008 wheat least 62 people were killed.

At least people were killed in attacks on foreign these two cities three years ago.

The post Death toll from attacks on foreign shops rises to four appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Nigeria calls on AU to protect its citizens in South Africa

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 22:00:00 +0000

Nigeria’s urging the African Union to step in to stop what it says are xenophobic attacks on its citizens and other Africans in South Africa.

The presidency in Abuja says there’s a need for the continental body to intervene urgently, claiming that in the last two years about 116 Nigerians have been killed in Soutb Africa , including 20 last year.

Senior presidential aide on foreign affairs Abike Abiri Erewa says in a statement the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa is unacceptable to the people and government of that country.

There was no independent verification of the claimed number of deaths. Neither does the statement say how many were

the result of wider criminal activities rather than

anti-immigrant sentiment.

The Nigerian Union in South Africa says there are about 800,000

Nigerians in South Africa, many of them living in Johannesburg.

The post Nigeria calls on AU to protect its citizens in South Africa appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

South Africa needs a new liberation, says Mugabe

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe says South Africa needs a new liberation.
The problem is not xenophobia, it’s whites clinging to jobs, power and privileges they grabbed during apartheid.
We must help them, he tells journalists in Gaborone as he wraps up a meeting to SADC headquarters.
Robert Mugabe was answering a question about whether the South African government is doing enough to curb xenophobic attacks on Zimbabweans and other foreigners.
Mugabe says the frustration of South African blacks is a result of whites refusing to release positions, advantages and privileges gained under apartheid.
This does not occur in any other African country where land has been taken and injustices righted.
Thus Africa has to help South Africa overcome this

The post South Africa needs a new liberation, says Mugabe appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

No boycott of AU summit in South Africa – Mashebane

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana Mashebane discount speculations that recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa would keep some leaders away from The African Union summit in Sandton next weekend.
She says there’s a full house of ambassadors working in Pretoria preparing the agenda for the heads of state.
ends intro
As host of the African Union’s 25 th summit, South Africa’ providing the venue and facilities conductive to a constructive gathering of the continent’s leaders.
But, says foreign affairs chief Maite Nkoana Mashebane, it’s the AU issuing the invitations and compiling the list of those attending.
But judging the attendance of ambassadors at the preparatory meeting in Pretoria (take in boycott clip here)
Foreign Ministers start meeting on Wednesday with the heads of state due in on Friday.

The post No boycott of AU summit in South Africa – Mashebane appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Zuma to mend fences at Nigerian presidential inauguration

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Wed, 27 May 2015 22:00:00 +0000

President Jacob Zuma’s in Abuja tomorrow for the inauguration of the his Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari.

He will be at pains to mend fences with Africa’s most populous country following the angry response to last month’s xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg and Durban.

In his warm congratulatory message following Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory two months ago, President Jacob Zuma expressed his commitment to working closely to enhance the good bilateral relations which exist between South Africa and Nigeria.

He particularly focused on strengthening economic cooperation.

Subsequently, Nigeria’s high commissioner to Pretoria went home saying he was being recalled to express his government’s outrage at the xenophobic attacks.

A South African official responded angrily, saying Nigeria’s attitude was unhelpful.

Both officials have been repudiated by their political bosses who have emphasised the strength of bilateral ties between Africa’s two economic giants.

The post Zuma to mend fences at Nigerian presidential inauguration appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Rights groups slam migrant arrests in South Africa

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Tue, 12 May 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Human rights activists have slammed South African authorities for netting at least 1 000 suspected illegal migrants in crackdown called Operation Cleansweep.

The organisation Lawyers for Human Rights won a court application yesterday (Monday) delaying the deportation of about 400 of the people detained.

The raids follow last months xenophobic attacks in Durban and Johannesburg secured a successful
court application to delay the deportation of about 400 immigrants held by the
authorities in Friday’s raid.
Immigrant workers from Zimbabwe, Malawi and other African countries were
targeted in weeks of unrest that left at least seven people dead and forced
thousands to flee their homes.
The South Africa government sent the army in to help police arrest
ringleaders behind the attacks, but it also launched a series of raids to pick
up hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants.
In the latest raid, about 400 immigrants were arrested last Friday in an
operation at the Central Methodist Church, a renowned shelter for refugees in
downtown Johannesburg.
“Large sections of police have been unleashed on people,” Steve Faulkner,
of the Coalition of Movements Against Xenophobia, told reporters.
“It was a military operation in the middle of the night… People were
herded together and taken to the police station.”
Right to Know, a campaign group, called the mass arrests “state-funded
xenophobia”.
“The raids were a heavy-handed response that have seen families being
separated and led to various human rights abuses,” Murray Hunter, spokesman
for the group.
Millions of African migrants — many of them illegal — work in South
Africa, often on construction sites or as casual labour.
Locals often blame them for stealing scarce jobs.

“We are very worried about how quick these deportations are taking place
after the manner of the raids,” said Wayne Ncube, a human rights lawyer.
The government has defended Operation Fiela, meaning “clean sweep”, and
said raids on workers’ hostels and informal settlements would continue.

The post Rights groups slam migrant arrests in South Africa appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Mugabe says stop rushing to South Africa

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 22:00:00 +0000

President Jacob Zuma asked to brief his regional counterparts on xenophobic attacks that have left seven people dead in South Africa
The matter dominated a SADC summit in Harare with host President Robert
Mugabe criticising workers who seek new lives in Johannesburg and other South
African cities.
ends intro
President Jacob Zumna says he was given an opportunity to brief the summit and explain the causes of the attacks, as well as the South African Government’s efforts to arrest the situation to prevent further loss of life.
The SADC meeting was meant to discuss industrial growth, but attention focused on the violence directed as citizens of countries who’s presidents were at the gathering behind closed doors.
Mugabe told reporters afterwards that long ago, going to South Africa was like going to heaven on earth,
He says people must get back to their own countries. They should not have the instinct of rushing into South Africa.

The post Mugabe says stop rushing to South Africa appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Jacob Zuma will look to fix things with Muhamadu Buhari

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 22:00:00 +0000

South Africa’s looking to mend fences with the incoming Nigerian President Muhamadu Buhari.
President Jacob Zuma will be attending his inauguration in Abuja in just over four weeks time.
ends intro
Nigeria’s having second thoughts about its diplomatic demonstration of disgust at the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Having responded strongly, South Africa’s not giving more attention to the recall of Nigeria’s top envoys.
Foreign affairs spokesman Clayson Monyela says its being seen as the action of an outgoing regime.
South Africa’s looking to consolidating relations with the incoming government of Muhamadu Buhari.
President Jacob Zuma is aware of how important it is for the African agenda that the continent’s two biggest powers should be on good terms, says Monyela, and he will concentrate his efforts on cementing these when he goes to Nigeria for Buhari’s inauguration on May 29.

The post Jacob Zuma will look to fix things with Muhamadu Buhari appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Nigeria recalls top envoy to South Africa

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Nigeria’s withdrawn its High Commissioner to South Africa following deadly attacks on foreigners that left seven people dead.

At one point the Abuja government was reportedly considering severing diplomatic ties in the mistaken belief that the xenophobic violence is specifically aimed at Nigerians in South Africa.

Nigeria recalled its Acting High Commissioner Martin Cobham and Deputy High Commissioner Uche Ajulu-Okeke . It’s the latest sign of African countries’ discontent at South Africa’s handling of attacks on immigrants.

The statement by Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry states that the action, which is the strongest form of protest short of cutting diplomatic ties, is in connection with the on-going xenophobia in South Africa targeting foreigners, mainly African migrants.

Protestors are picketing the South African diplomatic mission in Lagos.

South African firms such as mobile phone giant MTN and supermarket chain Shoprite have significant interests in Nigeria, which is Africa’s largest economy.

The post Nigeria recalls top envoy to South Africa appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.