Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema says he’s ashamed of being a South African because of the recent spate of attacks against foreign nationals in the country.
Incidents have been reported in provinces of Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal Krecently.
“Government is concerned about the reported attacks on foreign nationals in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo,” the state communications department said in a statement issued on Thursday, March 28.
“We urge law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of these violent acts are brought to book”.
It called on community leaders to stop and discourage attacks on migrants reported in Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
Police in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal confirmed incidents of attacks by dozens of people which started on Sunday night targeting foreign-owned shops.
South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has commented on recent reports of xenophobic attacks in part of the country categorically condemning it as unacceptable.
Speaking at a presidential fundraising event on Friday evening, Ramaphosa said the attacks were a sign of intolerance and partly ingratitude for the role that other African countries played directly and indirectly in the long struggle against the apartheid regime.
He stressed that South Africans were tolerant people who had rejected xenophobia and would continue to do so again and again. “I condemn them in the strongest terms because this is not us,” he said to applause.