Attackers using my song - Zuma

2008-05-18 20:18

Pretoria - African National Congress president Jacob Zuma condemned xenophobic attacks on foreigners.

He is annoyed, too, that the attackers are using his "theme song", Bring me my machine gun.

He said on Sunday: "We cannot allow South Africa to be famous for xenophobia.

"We cannot be a xenophobic country," he said, addressing a packed hall at the University of Pretoria's Vista campus in Mamelodi.

The address followed Zuma's meeting with local stakeholders - including the Somali Association of SA (Sasa) - to address issues facing the community, including xenophobia.

He said community leaders had told him that residents had identified those behind the xenophobic attacks, but that when the information was taken to the police, they did not act on it.

"They've identified the people that started the problem and they've given information to the police and the police have not acted," he said.

"We cannot have police who are not active to deal with the issue because in no time this matter is going to take a different direction".

Machine gun song

He said he could not understand how people could attack foreigners when ANC members had sought refuge in neighbouring countries.

"We should be the last people to have this problem of having a negative attitude towards our brothers and sisters who come from outside."

He said he had heard that people attacked others while singing the song Umshini wam.

"That is a serious matter, for that song belongs to the ANC, it doesn't belong to unknown people.

"The question is, who are those people who are misleading the public by singing an ANC song when they're doing the wrong thing?" he asked.

"People are abusing (an) ANC song for wrong things that they're doing and they must be condemned."

While calling for the establishment of street committees, Zuma said criminals took advantage of xenophobic attacks on foreigners "for criminal activity".

"There are also reports that some political organisations are also perpertuating this, I don't know how true those reports are."

Chastises police

On the issue of crime, Zuma called for the establishment of street committees, while calling for the eradication of drug abuse.

He said there needed to be better interaction between communities and the police. He said the notion that communities took the law into their own hands was likely because the police did not take any action.

"If the community takes its action against the criminal, the police come very heavy on the community. When the criminal takes the law into their own hands, they (police) don't come heavy on the criminals."

He said there needed to be a debate as to whether laws set in place to fight crime were strong enough.

"Our laws look like they are user-friendly for criminals," he said, to loud applause from the crowd.

He called on the party to be more active within its respective communities.

Reflecting on the meeting, Sasa director Ahmed Dawlo said the meeting with Zuma was assuring.

Attacks 'traumatising'

"It was assuring our faith in the South African government. It used to be a form of denial... the scourge of xenophobia in South Africa. But hearing from Zuma it seems like the government has realised the challenge," said Dawlo.

Touching on recent spates of xenophobia in the country, Dawlo described the events, especially in Alexandra, as "traumatising".

Zuma's visit followed a series of violent attacks on foreign nationals throughout Gauteng.

- SAPA