South Africa: State is Taken to Task On Migrants

Johannesburg — CIVIL rights groups criticised the police and the government yesterday for creating the impression foreigners were invading the country and for failing to manage the influx of people.

At a seminar hosted by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation and the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in SA (CoRMSA) in Johannesburg yesterday, University of Pretoria sociology professor Michael Neocosmos said he doubted economic factors were the only reason for the attacks. He said if people were suffering from poverty, it would have made more sense to attack rich rather than poor people. "People are afraid to engage in politics so they resort to violence. It is not true that foreigners are here to take other people's jobs. Some are here to create jobs," he said.

...

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.