Zuma apologises to Mozambicans for xenophobic violence, not yet to Nigerians

*president Zuma

South African President Jacob Zuma apologised
to Mozambicans Wednesday for a recent
outbreak of xenophobic violence in which at
least seven people died and hundreds of
migrants were forced to flee their homes.
Speaking at the start of a two-day state visit to
Maputo, Zuma said the attacks — which included
the murder of a Mozambican man captured by a
press photographer — “shocked us and disturbed
us”.
Apologising on behalf of the “small minority of
South Africans” involved in the violence, Zuma
said: “The Mozambicans are our brothers, our
sisters, that’s like a family problem really.”
Rampant unemployment and poverty are seen as
contributing to the violence by South Africans,
who accuse migrants from Mozambique and
other neighbouring countries of stealing their
jobs.
Since the end of apartheid 21 years ago, South
Africa has attracted millions of migrants seeking
a better life in the continent’s most advanced
economy. Zuma pledged to address “some of the
underlying factors” to ensure that the attacks
against foreigners did not erupt again, without
elaborating. While condemning the violence,
South Africa has also cracked down in a series of
raids in which 1,650 illegal immigrants have been
arrested.
More than 400 Mozambicans were expelled on
Friday and 427 others are slated to be deported
soon. Zuma is in Maputo at the invitation of
President Filipe Nyusi, with the visit set to focus
on bilateral and regional cooperation.
Mozambique is South Africa’s top trading partner
in Africa, with two-way trade worth 43.9 billion
rand ($3.7 billion) last year.