Mbeki speaks out against xenophobic attacks
FORMER president Thabo Mbeki has condemned the recent anti-immigrant protest march which was preceded by attacks on foreigners in parts of Gauteng.
Mbeki was scathing on the attacks yesterday when he was inaugurated as the new chancellor of Unisa.
“I must express my great concern at events that took place in this city last week in the context of what was reported as an anti-immigrant march.
“As South Africans we should never forget the enormous sacrifices that were made by our sister people of Africa to help us achieve our liberation, and we cannot now behave in a manner that treats fellow- African residents in our country as enemies or unwelcome guests.”
Mbeki said the people of South Africa could not commit the offence of viewing or characterising African migrants in their country as criminals.
He said if communities suspected or discovered criminal activity, they should take the matter to the police who had an obligation to follow up on the community reports to avoid people taking the law into their own hands.
Mbeki said many people knew that South Africa faced many socio-economic challenges such as poverty and unemployment, and none of them could be solved by attacking fellow-Africans who joined the country as migrants.
“Those who organise or participate in these attacks must know that there is nothing revolutionary or progressive or patriotic or acceptable or of service to the people in what are in fact criminal activities.”
He said the phenomena of xenophobic attacks needed to be thoroughly studied as there were certain aspects of the attacks that did not point to it being an attack on foreigners specifically.
He also spoke about the practice of students and communities burning buildings to make a point, and referred to that as cutting off one’s nose to spite ones face.
Among the guests were former finance minister Trevor Manuel; Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor; opera singer Sibongile Khumalo; poet Dr Don Mattera; Judge Bernard Ngoepe; retired deputy chief justice of the Constitutional Court Judge Dikgang Moseneke; Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande; Mbeki’s wife Zanele and his brother Moeletsi Mbeki.
The former president said he was honoured that the university had chosen him for this prestigious position.
He said the higher education sector could not function independently of the society it sought to serve, and that society and higher education had to join hands to reach consensus. “I hope that the (Fees) Commission will provide practical answers to the urgent matter of sustainable funding of higher education.”
During the glittering occasion, which lasted almost four hours, Mbeki was hailed as one of the country’s greatest intellectuals and accelerators of the African Renaissance. – Additional reporting by ANA