Children make their way to school past shacks, destroyed in xenophobic violence
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa's government acknowledged an urgent need Thursday to accelerate efforts to tackle poverty and unemployment as it assessed the damage from a wave of deadly xenophobic attacks.
In a statement issued after a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, the government said it "accepts that the pace of service delivery needs to be expedited ... to address the developmental needs of our communities.
"However, blaming and attacking foreign nationals is an unacceptable way of highlighting community concerns."
The government said there were genuine concerns about access to basic provisions such as water as well as jobs but they were being exploited to justify attacks on foreigners which have left more than 50 people dead in May.
Around 40 percent of South Africa's estimated 48 million people are unemployed, according to unofficial statistics, while more than four million are believed to be living in dire poverty and earn less than a dollar a day.
"Whilst acknowledging the urgent need to accelerate its programmes for alleviating poverty, unemployment and other forms of socio-economic deprivation, government appeals to all our communities to reject any agitation from those who wish to reduce this country into a lawless country," it added.
The acknowledgement marks a significant change in tone from South African President Thabo Mbeki's government which had previously denied any link between the attacks and complaints about the delivery of essential services.
But while the government confirmed plans to set up special courts to try those accused of carrying out the attacks, the cabinet made no concrete decision on how to assist the victims.
There had been reports prior to the meeting the government would approve the setting up of several giant camps to house some of the tens of thousands of foreigners, mainly Zimbabwean and Mozambican, who saw their homes razed to the ground in the violence which began on May 11.
However cabinet said merely it was working with officials at provincial level to find suitable land or facilities to house the victims who have either been staying in cramped community centres or sleeping out in the cold.
Meanwhile the Gauteng provincial government, which includes the Johannesburg epicentre of the attacks, said another 10 temporary shelters would be set up to held displaced foreign nationals in Gauteng.
Acting Gauteng premier Paul Mashatile said a task team led by the department of social services would be assigned to identify locations for temporary shelters.
"The task team will co-ordinate intervention, working together with the United Nations Council on refugees and other organisations," he was quoted as saying by the SAPA news agency.
The Catholic Archbishop of Johannesburg, Buti Tlhagale, also called for greater efforts to be made to help victims of the violence as he issued an appeal for clothing, blankets and food to be dropped off at churches.
Mbeki has been widely criticised for his response to the violence which has severely damaged South Africa's reputation as a "Rainbow Nation" that it has sought to forge in the 14 years since the end of the whites-only apartheid regime.
While he has called the attacks a "disgrace" he has failed to visit any of the affected areas and he did not chair Wednesday's cabinet as he is currently attending a conference in Japan.
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