• Two Kenyans have been affected by the on going violence and physical attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.
• Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma on Wednesday said the two are among dozens whose property has been destroyed.
Image: COURTESY
Two Kenyans have been affected by the on going violence and physical attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa.
Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma on Wednesday said the two are among dozens whose property has been destroyed.
“We woke up to troubling news about xenophobic attacks against non-nationals in several places in South Africa. Reports in hand indicate two Kenyans were affected and their property destroyed,” she wrote on her Twitter handle.
She said Kenya strongly condemns the increasing wave of xenophobic attacks.
Juma said she hoped that the ethos and values of Pan Africanism will prevail over narrow nationalisms, and be the bonds that glue them together, as African brothers and sisters.
She said Kenya’s Embassy in South Africa is in close contact with the Government to ensure the safety of Kenyans and protection of their property.
Juma posted the sentiments on her twitter handle after she received and held a bilateral meeting with Hon. Jiechi Yang, Member of the Political Bureau of the COC Central Committee and Director of Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and former Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday condemned a wave of looting and violence that has mostly targeted foreign nationals.
"There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries," he said.
The African Union (AU) issued a statement condemning the "despicable acts" of violence "in the strongest terms".
Police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades in an attempt to quell the unrest on Monday. The surge in violence also saw mobs target lorries that were being driven by foreign nationals.
Violence continued on Tuesday in Johannesburg's Alexandra township.
Earlier on Kenya’s Ambassador to South Africa Jean Kamau said several Kenyan citizens had been affected by the recent spate of violence through arson and physical violence.
"We have encouraged them to respond to the instructions and calls by the South African police to report and open files regarding all the incidences."