Q & A

‘Xenophobia was RSA low point’

Our Lilongwe Bureau Chief, Samuel Chunga, recently caught up with South African High Commissioner Cassandra Mbuyane-Mokone and they discussed many issues, including life after the xenophobic attacks in the Rainbow Nation. Excerpts:

Mbuyane-Mokone-

Q:

Recently, you hosted the ‘We Are Africa’ reception at your residence in Lilongwe. What was the reason for hosting that event?

A:

The South African High Commission hosted the We are Africa reception to celebrate the outcomes of the World Economic Forum on Africa, the emergence of the outcomes and decisions of the 25th African Union Summit. In so doing, we highlighted the fact that South Africa remains committed to the African continent and celebrates the positive developments.

We brought together partners and like-minded stakeholders, diplomatic missions and international organisations to Malawi to create space for discussion and engagement in an appropriate setting.

 

Q:

Despite its name, the reception was open to representatives from other continents across the world. What do you think Africa was telling the rest of the world through South Africa?

A:

As always, we are guided in all that we do by our foreign policy position, which seeks to promote and contribute to regional economic development and integration that ultimately contributes to the integration of all regions on the continent. The continent has many supporters and partners in the international community and the message being set was simple: Africa understands the challenges that it is faced with and is committed to dealing with these challenges. In certain areas, Africa requires support for the solutions that have been developed.

But, importantly, I believe that Africa is also sending a very positive message about its growth, the strength of its youthful population, and its determination to overcome the historical challenges.

Q:

It is clear that trade and investment are key pillars for development in South Africa and the rest of the African continent, going by sentiments from an African Union Heads of State Summit in South Africa recently. May you shed more light on the sentiments?

A:

Trade and investment between the countries in the regions of the continent remain one of the most fundamental vehicles for stemming the tide against poverty and unemployment.

It is for this reason that the signing of the Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)) was received with such fervour by all African Heads of State. It is because this CFTA has the potential to create the basis for Africans to trade among themselves, which represents a market of over 900 million people.

Once realised, the positive spin-offs for the continent will be present in almost every sector of the continent’s economy—from transport to infrastructure and from manufacturing to beneficiation of raw materials.

 

Q:

A few months ago, some South Africans staged xenophobic attacks against some immigrants living in your Rainbow Nation. Did that development come as a surprise to you?

A:

Indeed, we are shocked at any form of violence in our society and it was for this reason that the attacks on foreigners by a handful of South Africans was condemned in the strongest sense of the word by the collective of South Africans.

 

Q:

Africa, and certainly most of the world, got shocked by the xenophobic attacks. Was there any fallout and what have been the lessons learnt?

A:

Naturally, states whose citizens reside in South Africa were concerned about their safety and in recognition of this fact, the South African government held consultations and engagements with members of the diplomatic corps, to give assurances of the South African government’s commitment to protect the safety and security of all who choose to make South Africa their home, legitimately.

Naturally, we have learnt that there are a significant number of people from the continent, eastern Europe and Asia that are undocumented citizens in South Africa and that there is large-scale illegal immigration into the country which our government has begun addressing.

We also learnt that the documented professionals living and working in South Africa were not victims of the attacks on foreigners.

 

Q:

As the bridge-builder of ties between South Africa and Malawi, how did it feel to take in the anger and frustration from Malawians as they reacted, through petitions or otherwise, over the xenophobic attacks?

A:

First, as a South African citizen, I respect the rights of individuals and groups to individually or collectively demonstrate their frustrations.

Second, as the official diplomatic representative of South Africa to Malawi, I echoed my government’s stance on the attacks—these attacks were condemned and referred to accurately as the actions of a small group of thugs and criminals who do not represent the collective goodwill of the majority of South Africans.

A:

Was this a low point and the most trying time yet in your Malawi tour of duty?

It was a low point but certainly not the most trying time! It was, however, an embarrassing time in which the actions of a few South Africans tainted the image of our country. But, as you are no doubt aware, the South African Government, via its envoys, engaged governments and foreign ministers to convey messages of support and to ensure its commitment to the safety and security of all who make South Africa home.

 

Q:

Would you say South Africa and Malawi, and the rest of the countries which were in uproar over the xenophobic attacks, have since resolved most of the issues and are back on normal keel?

A:

As you are, in no doubt aware, bilateral relations between states provide the most useful basis for discussion on issues affecting the relationship between states. In this regard, South Africa used its bilateral relations with states to convey messages of disappointment at the acts of violence committed by a few South Africans but also to strongly condemn these acts and show commitment to bringing those responsible to book for their unlawful action.

The South African Government went further to make statements at regional and continental institutions, reiterating its disgust at the behaviour of a few. The government also went on to call on those who travel to South Africa for work or business to do so legally, given that South Africa has many socio-economic development challenges and that illegal immigration exacerbates the challenges.

Q: What do you think must be done to prevent the recurrence of the xenophobic attacks, especially given the inescapable fact that the Rainbow Nation is a continental giant that represents the realisation of immigrants’ dreams and greener pastures?

Indeed it does. However, there is also another reality—South Africa has a historical past of economic marginalisation of the vast majority of its citizens. In the past 20 years, our government has put in place policies and programmes to address that reality and we continue to do well in addressing these challenges. n

 

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