Pretoria – Home Affairs Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan has announced the establishment of a forum to conduct dialogues countrywide on issues related to xenophobia.
Chohan made the announcement on Wednesday after meeting with business and community leaders in Pretoria.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Chohan said government was gravely concerned about the level of violence directed at foreign nationals.
“We felt there was a need to discuss the matter with foreign national business people,” she said.
The discussions were sparked by the recent spate of violence directed at foreign nationals. In some instances, businesses belonging to foreign nationals were looted.
Chohan said she hoped the forum would encourage people to address the challenges they face.
“We believe this is a healthy way to address conflicts. We hope this will result in a process and culture of resolving problems.
“We also think the forum will assist in bringing people together,” she said, adding that there was a need to develop an understanding of other cultures.
According to Chohan, the dialogues are expected to start in Gauteng, as it is the most affected province. – SAnews.gov.za
