Africa needs economic integration to fight xenophobia
Cape Times content producer SIYAVUYA MZANTSI is on a visit to Ethiopia. This is his second report
OROMIA, ETHIOPIA: The only option to ease brewing tensions between South Africans and foreign nationals is for the continent’s leaders to create economic integration in the regions, according to Ethiopian ambassador to South Africa Mulugeta Kelil.
“The migration situation in Africa is not a political game, it is an economic issue.
“If the economy is growing, no one is running to South Africa. The reason people are running to South Africa is because the country has a big economy.”
Kelil was speaking on the sidelines during a visit by reporters from the SADC region to Adama Science and Technology University.
His comments come as foreign nationals, particularly shopkeepers from Somalia and Ethiopia, have fallen victim to armed robberies in Cape Town. Clashes between locals and foreign nationals had recently erupted in Gauteng.
“SADC countries are neighbouring countries, so is the east African countries and north-eastern Africa. There only needs to be a good relationship of economic integration. If the economy is growing, it is easy to manage this migration.
“If the economy is growing, no one is running to South Africa, crossing six countries.”
He said it was the 2008 xenophobic attacks that left many foreign nationals still living on a knife’s edge.
Kelil says a lot of work has been done by the government to educate South Africans about problems facing foreign nationals in the country.
He said officials from the Ethiopian embassy, local community leaders and traditional leaders had visited parts of Mpumalanga to have discussions with residents and foreign nationals.
“It is only during protests over basic services that some people, not a lot of people, on their way back start looting shops. It is not only Ethiopians and Somalis that are facing this problem. It is everyone, including the Nigerians recently.”
The Ethiopian government in the country assisted those who had fallen victim to crime by arranging to voluntarily return to their country, added Kelil.
“They have a chance of contributing and investing in the growth of the economy. They have to be part of this development of this country.
“The other thing is that if they inform us of the challenges they are facing in South Africa, we arrange a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Department of Home Affairs. We have to have a discussion with them to find a solution. We work very closely with them and we have made some progress despite the challenges,” he said.