Mbeki defends govt action
27/06/2008 10:15  - (SA)  

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Cape Town - The government had acted as promptly as possible when dealing with the recent outbreak of xenophobic attacks, President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday.

Replying to a question in Parliament, Mbeki said he could not understand the criticisms that were levelled at the government's response to the violence

Mbeki said the police had responded immediately when the violence broke out and had continued to try to bring it under control.

"Are the police not part of the government?" he asked.

"I cannot accept claims that there were delays in responding or that the government was in some way paralysed in the face of the attacks," he said.

Mbeki said the fugitives from the attacks initially ran to police stations for protection but no housing was available. He said it took some time to build temporary shelters and to identify suitable areas for their establishment.

He said in reply to a question about the causes of the violence, that initial police investigations had attributed the outbreak to a combination of factors.

These included perceptions that foreigners were responsible for the drug trade, that they took the jobs from South Africans, they received RDP houses by bribing officials and that they established businesses which competed with those owned by locals.

He said another reason given for the attacks was that local young women were attracted to the foreigners.

Mbeki said these were merely perceptions and there was evidence that criminal elements used these reasons as a cover for committing acts of looting and thuggery.

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