South African President Ramaphosa Vows Arrest, Prosecution Of Those Behind Xen0phobic ∆ttacks
South African President Ramaphosa Vows Arrest, Prosecution Of Those Behind Xenophobic Attacks
Ramaphosa made the remarks while responding to questions from lawmakers in the National Assembly on the government’s response to attacks targeting foreign nationals.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that people responsible for violence against foreign nationals in the country will be arrested and prosecuted, saying security agencies are investigating both local perpetrators and possible external forces allegedly fuelling the unrest.
Ramaphosa made the remarks while responding to questions from lawmakers in the National Assembly on the government’s response to attacks targeting foreign nationals.
Asking Ramaphosa what his government was doing to bring the instigators of recent xenophobic attacks to justice, Julius Malema, a lawmaker and Member of Parliament (MP) in South Africa, serving in the National Assembly as the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), said, “The level of violence perpetrated against African foreign nationals in this country over the past few months has a face. We know who the instigators and perpetrators of these violent acts are.”
“Why have the perpetrators of this violence not been arrested and prosecuted?” Malema asked.
“What is even worse is that the two of them came to meet with you. You should have locked them up that day when they came to meet you.”
Ramaphosa said the police and prosecuting authorities had been directed to identify and prosecute anyone involved in criminal activities, including violence that has resulted in injuries and deaths.
“The commitment I can make is that those who are perpetrating and ave perpetrated acts of violence against foreign nationals are going to be dealt with,” Ramaphosa said.
“The police and the prosecuting authorities have been given the responsibility to make sure that anyone who commits criminal activity in our country are followed up and they are brought to book.”
The President said the government would not provide a specific timeline for the arrests because the process depends on the speed and determination of investigators and prosecutors.
He, however, stressed that the rule of law would guide the government’s response.
“We have said that the rule of law must apply, and those who have done wrong or continue to do wrong must be dealt with,” he said.
Ramaphosa said South Africa’s response is being closely watched by other African countries whose citizens had been affected by the violence.
He said the government is aware of the potential impact of the attacks on South Africa’s relations with other African nations.
“Our neighbours and our fellow African heads of state and government, and indeed their citizens, are looking at South Africa and how we manage this process,” he said.
He added that the government is also investigating allegations that forces outside South Africa could be contributing to the violence and tensions between South Africans and citizens of other African countries.
“It has been interesting, as we have also found, that there have been activities that we have observed by a number of forces outside our country that have been bringing to bear their influence in this whole process,” Ramaphosa said.
He said investigators were following those leads as part of efforts to establish the various forces behind the unrest.
“We are following those threads and those threats as well,” he said.
According to Ramaphosa, the government believes that some of the violence may have been “propelled and instigated from outside of South Africa,” although he stressed that this did not account for all the incidents.
He said authorities are investigating the roles played by South Africans as well as suspected outsiders allegedly seeking to destabilise the country.
“It is a complex problem. It is a multifaceted problem,” Ramaphosa said.
“We are at work and working it through and deciphering precisely the various roles that have been played by our own people as well as those we perceive to be outsiders who want to disturb the stability in South Africa by getting South Africans to seem to be at war with Africans from other nations.
Ramaphosa also said people suspected of instigating the violence are being investigated by security agencies, although he did not confirm that any specific individuals have been ordered arrested.
He said the police and other security agencies are gathering reports and evidence concerning people allegedly involved in organising or leading violent actions.
“A number of other people have been arrested and, of course, those others who were seen to be leading these processes are also people who are of interest, of direct interest to the police,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the government is particularly concerned about incidents involving injuries and deaths.
“In a number of cases where, for instance, incidents of violence have even resulted into injury, into death, we are going to be following all that up and ensuring indeed that those who have perpetrated those acts are followed up and there will be arrests and there will be charges that will be preferred against those who have done so,” he said.
His remarks followed questions from lawmakers over the government’s commitment to protecting foreign nationals and prosecuting those responsible for violence against them.
Ramaphosa said the police and prosecuting authorities would continue to pursue the cases “without any doubt.”
The President’s comments come amid renewed concerns over xenophobic violence and tensions involving foreign nationals in South Africa, with the government under pressure to demonstrate that perpetrators will face consequences regardless of their nationality or political affiliation.
