Pretoria - South Africa’s Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) will announce the outcome of its mediation efforts between the African Diaspora Forum (ADF) and Johannesburg mayor, Herman Mashaba, who faces charges of stoking xenophobic flames against Zimbabwean immigrants and other foreign nationals.
“The Commission in fulfilling its constitutional mandate of promoting and protecting human rights engaged with both the ADF and Cllr Mashaba and determined that this matter would be best resolved through a process of mediation”.
“Both parties were given a platform to recount their version of events and upon the conclusion of the mediatory discussion various terms of settlement were reached. These terms have given rise to a settlement agreement to be signed by the parties (on Tuesday),” the SAHRC said in a statement.
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The ADF in February lodged a complaint against Mashaba accusing him of fuelling xenophobia by making unconstitutional statements about foreign people living in the city. He called for the deportation of immigrants, describing them as illegal and criminals..
He was also widely quoted saying “foreigners‚ whether legal or illegal‚ are not the responsibility of the city” and that “[the city of Johannesburg] will only provide accommodation exclusively to South Africans”.
In 2015, Zimbabwe had to repatriate thousands in the aftermath of the xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa.
The xenophobic attacks have in the past left several injured, thousands displaced and others dead and Mashaba’s statements were seen stoking another round of attacks on foreign nationals.
Zimbabweans, like other nationals, fleeing joblessness and poverty in the country flee to South Africa to seek a better life.
