Panel set up to deal with xenophobic violence crisis

A PANEL of experts has been set up to advise the government on how to deal with xenophobic violence which is spreading like wildfire in Durban.

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba announced yesterday that the government had taken several steps to end the violence which started in Isipingo late last month and quickly spread to Umlazi, KwaMashu, Chatsworth and Pinetown.

Yesterday locals and foreigners confronted each other in the Durban CBD under the nose of government officials, who held a meeting with ambassadors and high commissioners of six African countries to discuss the situation.

The South African government was represented by Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko and State Security Minister David Mahlobo. Also present were KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu and eThekwini deputy mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala.

Gigaba announced that the provincial government had set up a panel of experts to advise the province on how to speedily deal with the situation.

The panel is made up of city lawyer Comfort Ngidi, executive director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (Accord), Vasu Gounden, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.

“We will take their advice on how to deal with the violence,” said Gigaba.

He said the panel would continue to operate even after the violence had ended to return the foreigners to communities where they had been attacked and chased away.

“Our priority is to integrate people back to the community so that they can go back to their lives and children can go back to school,” he said.

Gigaba said the eThekwini executive council had also formed a committee.

“They have been able, very quickly, to provide various shelters and basic services for the people who are there.

“The security cluster sent a team of directors-general from all security departments to come down to the province over the weekend and assess the situation and decide on any additional steps,” he said.

On Monday night Gigaba, Nhleko, Mahlobo and Mchunu held a lengthy meeting with King Goodwill Zwelithini, whose speech in Pongola last month has been linked to the recent outbreak of violence.

Gigaba declined to divulge what had been discussed.