Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) under the flagship of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) have condemned the gruesome murder of Zimbabwean citizen Elvis Nyathi in Diepsloot, South Africa saying no one deserves to die for being a migrant.
Nyathi who hailed from Matobo District, in Matebeleland South province was stoned to death and set ablaze in north Johannesburg by a vigilante group targeting foreign nationals who they accuse of seizing their jobs.
Addressing journalists in Harare, CiZC Peace Building committee chairperson Bishop Ancelimo Magaya called on the South African Government to show commitment and provide a lasting solution to end the attack that have become perennial.
“We implore the South African government to urgently show a renewed commitment to provide a permanent solution to end xenophobia. Uphold their important obligations towards protecting refugees and asylum seekers under international law.
“South Africa is party to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) and the Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (1969). The South African government is therefore mandated to ensure the safety and security of all refugees domiciled within its borders. Desist from making irresponsible statements that may trigger xenophobic attacks against Zimbabweans and other foreign nationals,” said Magaya.
He also partly blamed Zimbabwean authorities for inept economic and political policies that were leading to many Zimbabweans leaving the country in search of better opportunities calling on the intervention of SADC to take a clear stand against what he described as an erosion of constitutionalism and the rule of law in Zimbabwe.
“Galvanize a regional response by putting Zimbabwe back on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) agenda and ensuring that Zimbabwe follows rational economic and political policies. Swiftly intervene and put in place long-term strategies to reduce inequality in South Africa. This will go a long way in addressing the toxic xenophobic feelings that the region can no longer ignore,” Magaya said
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO forum coordinator Fortune Kuhudzehwe weighed in and said the attacks deserves condemnation from everyone.
“As the NGO Forum we are equally disturbed about the gruesome xenophobic attacks in South Africa against foreign nationals. This storm of terror of human rights violations of personal security and human dignity as well as assault of foreigners casts despondency and fear in fellow Africans. This is so retrogressive and is as retrogressive as colonialism and is worth our condemnation from all of us,” said Kuhudzehwe
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) programs lawyer Paidamoyo Saurombe called on the South African Government to uphold its international obligations protect migrants.
“We want to call upon the South African government in particular to uphold its international obligations, to uphold the standards that should be upheld in protecting refugees and immigrants of all kinds. When you look at our immigration laws internationally they provide for certain standards that should be taken for consideration.
“When you have refugees in your country be it that the refugees are documented or undocumented that should be upheld and we call upon the South African Government uphold them. The extra judicial killings being taken by vigilante groups in South Africa are quite unfortunate and we call on the South African authorities to take strong measures against the groups that are targeting foreign nationals,” said Saurombe
