South African Xenophobia

CHEN: A top African National Congress leader criticised police for reacting too slowly to almost two weeks of attacks on African migrants. More than 10,000 Mozambicans have fled from South Africa to escape xenophobic attacks. Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who's in South Africa, says he will return to Zimbabwe and work to end the political crisisthat has caused millions to flee his country. STORY: Facing an uncertain future, thousands of African migrants are pouring into temporary refuges, like this one in Johannesburg, to escape xenophobic attacks sweeping South African townships.[Marvellous Osu, Displaced Man from Zimbabwe:] "We want our life, only that."The violence, which began almost two weeks ago, has killed dozens and driven at least 15,000 from their homes. The migrants are facing a backlash from poor South Africans, who are angry about the high number of foreigners who - they say - are taking their homes and their jobs.One in 10 South African residents are foreign and more than half - anestimated three million - are from Zimbabwe.Zimbabwean opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, says Zimbabwe's economic and political turmoil is partly to blame for the explosion of racial hatred in South Africa. [Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC President]: "What I want to say to you is the causes for this crisis is non other than our political circumstances back home"Addressing a group of refugees, sheltering in a Johannesburg police car park, the MDC leader said he was returning home to work to end the crisis.Tsvangirai hopes to defeat Robert Mugabe in a run-off presidential vote next month, which many analysts predict could lead to more violence.Millions of Zimbabweans living in South Africa face an unenviable choice - stay here and risk death at the hands of the mob or return home to a country which is imploding.

Channel: News & Politics
Uploaded: November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am
Author: NTDTV

Length: 02:01
Rating: 4.50
Views: 1865

Tags: africa  african  attacks  crisis  home  johannesburg  leader  mdc  migrants  morgan  political  sa  south  tsvangirai  which  zimbabwe  

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