Johannesburg - Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa has called for tolerance among Africans, warning that acts of violence against foreign nationals living in South Africa will be dealt with harshly including lengthy jail terms for those perpetuating xenophobia.
Speaking at an event to mark Heritage Day in Yeoville on Saturday, Mthethwa said there could be no justification for attacking particular groups of people because they were not South Africans.
"Those who believe they have a free-for-all right to murder, ransack shops and destroy property of others because they are not South Africans, are grossly misled," said Mthethwa, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on xenophobia. More than 60 people died in 2008 and scores injured following xenophobic attacks on migrants by those who said foreigners were taking local jobs and contributing to crime.
Situated in the heart of Johannesburg, Yeoville is one of the city's oldest suburbs and has the largest migrant population mostly from other African countries. In the past few years, the area has been trapped in a cycle of neglect and dilapidation and has been the target of xenophobic attacks and rampant crime.
But Mthethwa this week commended the community of Yeoville for turning the tide against crime calling on them to use the same energy to fight xenophobic tendencies.
According to the recent crime statistics released by police, there has been a marked decrease in offences like murder, hijacking and robbery in the greater Yeoville area. Murder dropped from 24 cases reported in 2009 to 14 in 2010 while robbery came down from 294 cases to 279 in the same period.
Mthethwa said the statistics were an indication that government and police were "in charge".
"Each day we are gaining momentum and are scoring victories in the fight against criminals. We must continue to be vigilant against any evidence of xenophobia against the African immigrants. It is fundamentally wrong and unacceptable that we should treat people who come to us as friends as though they are our enemies."
Those who continued to fuel "anarchy" will face the full wrath of the law he said. "The criminal justice system will ensure that they rot in jail. We know that these scoundrels live amongst you and that you know them, this is why we call on you...to identify and report these criminals," added Mthethwa.
Yeoville Station Commander, Colonel Lubisi Motaung, also commended the community for its tough stance on crime. "While the members of the police are to be praised for their work, we equally commend the cooperation we receive from the community around here, so the decrease we see in criminal activities, it's thanks to them," said Motaung.
