City of Joburg 'taking steps to fight xenophobic attacks'
City of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says he is concerned by the xenophobic violence in parts of Gauteng, most recently seen in Tshwane this morning.
"I call on all peace loving South Africans to reject groupings which seek to place the blame for crime and unemployment squarely at the feet of foreign residents in our communities. I implore our residents not to take the law into their own hands and respect human rights and the rule of law," says Mashaba.
Mashaba says there is no place for xenophobia in Johannesburg and they are working tirelessly to prevent the outbreak of any violence.
LIVE: Tshwane residents march against immigrants
He says the city has taken the following steps to deal with the issues surrounding xenophobia and the threat of xenophobic violence through the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Division (JMPD):
- JMPD is working in conjunction with the SAPS to develop an operational plan to respond to any xenophobic threats and attacks that may occur in the City of Johannesburg
- A central provincial Joint Operations Centre (JOC) is up and running and all law enforcement agencies are represented on the JOC
- The JOC is convened to pull together all policing resources so that the response to any possible xenophobic threat is reacted to immediately
- In the City of Johannesburg, focus for deployment will be Rosettenville as well as Alexandra on the basis of intelligence received
- JMPD Units dealing with public order policing form an integral part of the police that will be deployed in these areas
- There will also be a simultaneous monitoring of other areas where violence may occur based on past experiences such as Soweto
- Other JMPD units will also be on standby to assist where required in the event of a possible xenophobic violent outbreak
- JMPD officers on the ground are feeding in any information that might point to any organised plans to attack foreigners
Mashaba says Johannesburg is a cosmopolitan city made up of people from differing socio-economic and political circumstances.
"There are many people who, out of desperation due to political, social and economic instability in their countries, seek a better life in Johannesburg, and indeed, South Africa as a whole. In this knowledge, it is essential that national government, and where applicable, provincial government, work with local government to tackle xenophobia in our society. My office remains open to participating in cooperative government interventions against xenophobia," says Mashaba.