Southern Africa’s Catholic bishops joined in calling for “every Catholic, Christian, people of other faiths and all people of goodwill join hands” in fighting the scourge of xenophobia following a recent wave of violence targeting foreigners in South Africa, Agenzia Fides reports.
The Catholic news agency reports that a statement from the Standing Committee of the lnter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa which brings together the bishops’ conferences of Angola and Sao Tome, Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana and Eswatini (Swaziland), condemned the attacks which have particularly targeted the Nigerian community along with citizens of countries like Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
“The deplorable actions that we have witnessed cannot be condoned in any way nor can they be hidden behind words that hide the real terror of xenophobia,” said the statement, according to Fides.
The bishops called for those who have been victims of the violence to forgive and avoid taking revenge.
“We believe that most South Africans, from all walks of life, are also appalled at what their fellow countrymen have done. We urge you to take those hands and work together towards a peaceful,” they said in the statement.
“Southern Africa is a region of rich diversity and such a promising future but also with a painful history. May every Catholic, Christian, people of other faiths and all people of goodwill join hands to fight this scourge which can only harm the future of our region, for us and for our future generations.”
There are reports as many as 12 people have been killed in the violence in recent weeks including two people killed in Johannesburg on 8th September.
Mozambiquan President Filipe Nyusi, whose nation, along with Nigeria, has started to repatriate its citizens from South Africa, has condemned the violence and said that more than 500 Mozambicans living in South Africa have had their homes destroyed by violent gangs.
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has condemned the attacks, was booed by the crowd at the state funeral of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the weekend.
– with DAVID ADAMS
