After violence against foreigners, many of them from elsewhere in Africa, erupted in communities across the country over the past week, the government, civil society and ordinary citizens have condemned the attacks, sought ways to alleviate the suffering, and looked for ways to end the conflict.
The wave of xenophobic attacks has brought into question South Africa’s brand equity. Brand South Africa’s acting chief executive officer Alice Puoane joins CNBC Africa senior anchor David Williams to discuss the issue.
29 April 2015 – Peace has returned to South African communities riven by the recent xenophobic violence, and the supply of food, shelter and other support for foreigners forced to flee their homes has been stepped up, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe told a press briefing on Tuesday. MORE >
28 April 2015 – “We want to reassure those who have plans to travel to South Africa that our government is in charge. The violence has stopped,” Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe told the media at the first briefing by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on migration. MORE >
28 April 2015 – President Jacob Zuma has appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration to strengthen and broaden the scope of the work started by Ministers Mahlobo, Gigaba and Nhleko. In the coming weeks and months the IMC will work with all the affected parties so as to seek a lasting solution to the issues raised by communities and foreign nationals. MORE >
28 April 2015 – The South Africa where foreigners fear for their lives is not the South Africa envisioned by Nelson Mandela and the Freedom Charter, writes Thebe Ikalafeng. MORE >
26 April 2015 – The South African Government takes note that the outgoing Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has recalled its Acting High Commissioner to South Africa. A government resorts to such an extraordinary diplomatic step to express outrage at actions or behaviour of another government. MORE >
24 April 2015 – The South African government appeals for peace and tolerance following the recent violence against foreign nationals. In addition to the human cost, the attacks damage the country’s reputation and development, and ignore migrants’ contribution to our society, as a new booklet explains. Read and download the booklet here. MORE >
23 April 2015 – Organisers of the MTN Radio Awards have called on radio stations across the continent to stand in solidarity against the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa by broadcasting the new Africa Against Ebola and Xenophobia rendition of “We Are the World”. MORE >
23 April 2015 – On Tuesday 22 April South African President Jacob Zuma met representatives from different sectors of society to discuss the country’s migration policy and explore ways to promote orderly migration and good relations between South Africans and other nationals. MORE >
23 April 2015 – “These images of violence and criminality directed at foreign nationals have been splattered over the front pages of our newspapers and our television screens. They have tugged at our hearts and sometimes brought tears to our eyes.” MORE >
23 April 2015 – Foreign nationals who have been accommodated at a temporary settlement next to the Primrose Police Station in Germiston, East Rand, after they fled fearing attacks, will continue receiving social support services from social workers as they are reintegrated into their communities in Makawusi and Marathon informal settlements. MORE >
22 April 2015 – On Tuesday 21 April South African President Jacob Zuma convened the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration, instructing members on what they need to do to promote orderly and efficient migration as well as peaceful coexistence between citizens and non-South Africans. MORE >
21 April 2015 – The South African Football Association and the Premier Soccer League are organising two international friendly matches against neighbouring countries to create unity in the wake of attacks on foreign nationals. MORE >
20 April 2015 – The South African government condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent outbreak of violent attacks in parts of the country against foreign nationals, particularly fellow Africans from other African countries. This the government’s response so far. MORE >
20 April 2015 – President Jacob Zuma is to hold consultative meetings with stakeholders to discuss South Africa’s migration policy and how different sectors of society can work with the government to promote orderly migration and good relations between citizens and foreign nationals. MORE >
20 April 2015 – The South African government is taking steps to bring the latest outbreak of attacks against foreign nationals in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng under control. President Jacob Zuma cancelled a trip to Indonesia and visited refugee camps in Durban on Saturday. MORE >
20 April 2015 – Brand South Africa’s chairperson, Chichi Maponya, says our African neighbours helped us during apartheid and says it is time for South Africa to play her part for the continent. MORE >
20 April 2015 – The Minister of Energy Tina Joemat-Pettersson and her deputy, Thembisile Majola, join President Jacob Zuma in strongly condemning the current attacks on non-South Africans in parts of our country. MORE >
20 April 2015 – Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, has lauded the sports bodies taking a stance against the xenophobic attacks and says that sport, yet again, is playing a role in uniting people in our country. MORE >
18 April 2015 – The KwaZulu-Natal government and eThekwini Metro are satisfied that great progress is being made in reintegrating displaced foreign nationals in a number of areas affected in greater Durban and greater Pietermaritzburg. MORE >
17 April 2015 – Brand South Africa joins the rest of the country in condemning the acts of violence that have been levelled against some foreign national residing in some of the nine provinces of South Africa. MORE >
17 April 2015 – South Africans took to Durban’s streets on Thursday to call for calm and an end to the attacks on foreign nationals, which have claimed five lives and displaced hundreds of others in KwaZulu-Natal over the past two weeks. #WeAreAfrica #StopXenophobia MORE >
16 April 2015 – President Jacob Zuma expressed his condemnation of the xenophobic attacks on foreigners in KwaZulu-Natal when he addressed the National Assembly on Thursday, 16 April. MORE >
15 April 2015 – President Jacob Zuma condemned the attacks on foreign nationals in KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg in an interview with the SABC, South Africa’s public broadcaster, on Wednesday night. MORE >
15 April 2015 – Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, has described the attacks of foreign nationals in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal as “unacceptable,” calling for their immediate halt while again expressing her deep concern about the violence. MORE >
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