Where is President Mbeki?
2008-05-25 10:06
Johannesburg - South African President Thabo Mbeki, already under fire for perceived policy failings that caused an anti-immigrant backlash in his country, now faces questions about his handling of the crisis.
The head of state is yet to visit the worst affected areas of Johannesburg after two weeks of violence against foreigners that has left more than 40 dead and more than 25 000 displaced.
His pronouncements have been limited to a statement given to newspapers more than a week after trouble began, a promise to create an investigating committee, and a brief comment carried by state radio SABC on Saturday in which he talked of "the humiliating disgrace" of the episode.
Despite spreading violence, which began in Johannesburg two weeks ago but has now hit seven of the country's nine provinces, he has not made a public address on the radio or television to appeal for calm.
A strong appeal
"A strong appeal to the South African people from the president would be very welcome indeed," says Olmo Von Meijenfeldt, an analyst from the Institute for Democracy in South Africa.
The latest incident underlines his distant style of leadership, he adds.
"He is not a man ... to put himself at the forefront," Von Meijenfeld says.
"Due to his style of leadership and his personality, he is someone who is a bit far away from the day-to-day life of these communities."
By contrast, his rival in the ruling African National Congress party, Jacob Zuma, who defeated him to become head of the party in December, has been more vocal and is to visit victims on Sunday.
The issue of the violence is not just a personal embarrassment to Mbeki, who has long championed the pan-African cause. Unheeded warnings of a looming problem are coming back to haunt the government as a whole.
Intelligence Minister Ronnie Kasrils has admitted that the government knew tensions were growing.
"Of course we were aware there was something brewing. It is one thing to know there is a social problem and another thing to know when that outburst will occur," he said.
Early warnings
Outbreaks of anti-immigrant attacks have been reported since the late 1990s and the South African Human Rights Commission had warned in 2007: "Xenophobia is definitely increasing."
Again, in March of this year, the commission issued a statement reiterating "its concern about the scourge of xenophobic violent attacks and brutal murders of foreign nationals."
It urged the government to pass a hate crimes law.
It is a poor reflection on Mbeki that both Von Meijenfeldt and Moetlesi Mbeki, of the South African Institute of International Affairs, believe a public appeal by the president would have limited impact.
Moetlesi Mbeki is the president's own brother, but an outspoken critic nonetheless.
"The current government has lost its credibility," he said.
"Even a strong statement by somebody who has such weak authority will not convince the people."
"This crisis is the result of the failure of their foreign policy against Zimbabwe and they don't want to admit that," says Moetlesi Mbeki.
South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille wrote on Friday that the ANC should stop casting around for excuses.
"The ANC elite will never face the fact that poverty stricken South Africans bear the brunt for government's policy failures," she wrote in her weekly online letter.