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SA must deal with Zim - Pahad
02/08/2007 22:11 - (SA)
Pretoria - The influx of Zimbabwean refugees into South Africa is a "serious problem" and should be dealt with, Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said on Thursday.
"Clearly, we must do more to see what we can do to deal with the this large influx of refugees," he told reporters in Pretoria.
"Every day, indications are that an increasing amount of people are coming into South Africa from Zimbabwe."
The inflow of Zimbabweans was sparked by escalating economic woes in their country, which have left the shelves of many a shop empty.
Pahad said it was vital for South Africa to act.
"If we don't begin to assist the Zimbabweans to solve their own problems the flow into South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and other neighbours will increase," he said.
"It is in our interest, nationally and morally, to see what we can do to facilitate."
President Thabo Mbeki was due to report on his attempts to promote a Zimbabwean settlement to the Southern African Development Community Summit, which begins on August 10.
"We will see what summit will decide what further we can do to assist the economic and political processes," Pahad said.
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