Unabated attacks on foreigners worry South African government

Attacks on foreigners continued unabated in parts of South Africa despite government warnings against xenophobia, authorities said on Saturday.

The latest attack took place on Friday night in Umlazi, Durban, in which two foreigners were injured in a petrol bomb attack, police said.

The foreigners, believed to be Somalis, sustained injuries when their shop was burned by the petrol bomb. They were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment, a police source said on condition of anonymity. No arrest has been made.

This followed weeks of attacks on foreigners in the area. More than 100 foreign shops were looted and hundreds of foreigners have fled their homes.

Authorities have dispatched a large contingent of police to the area to contain xenophobia attacks. But this seemed to be ineffective in reigning in some locals who grudge against foreigners for taking up jobs that would have belonged to locals.

On Friday, South African President Jacob Zuma pledged that the government will continue to protect all the people in the country including foreign nationals.

Refugees and asylum seekers will also be accorded support in line with international law and protocols, he said.

"We therefore urge our people to treat those who are in the country legally with respect and Ubuntu," Zuma.

Zuma emphasized that no amount of economic hardship and discontent will ever justify attacking foreign nationals who own shops and other businesses.

The government condemns such attacks and will take action against perpetrators, he added.

But Zuma also vowed to take action against illegal immigrants as there are growing complaints that many crimes are committed by them.

"We are tightening security in all our ports of entry to ensure dealing with the problem of illegal migration," Zuma said.

"It is also true that some of the foreign owned businesses do not comply with the country's laws and are therefore operating illegally. Because they are illegal, they do not pay taxes like other businesses," Zuma said.

Everyone operating a business in South Africa, whether one is a citizen or a foreign national, must adhere to the country's laws for registering and operating a business, Zuma stressed.

"We will not tolerate illegal trade."

He said the government will enforce laws and bylaws more stringently and ensure that nobody trades illegally and disadvantages other traders.

Zuma said the government is aware of the complaints by some South Africans that some foreign nationals start small businesses in townships that compete against South African-owned businesses leading to some having to shut down.