No Need To Apologize For Xenophobic Attacks – Mayor Of Johannesburg

In the wake of various reactions to the latest Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa by agitated South Africans earlier this month, Herman Mashaba, the Mayor of Johannesburg, has told the press that South Africans have no reason to apologize for their actions.

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Speaking on CNBC Africa’s Political Capital on Tuesday, the mayor was of the view that an apology for the incident wasn’t necessary, saying “What do you expect me to really apologize for?”

Xenophobia is a common occurrence in South Africa, so the Mayor’s comments come as no surprise. Every now and then we hear stories of the despicable treatment that is meted out to foreigners by native South Africans. According to a 2018 research conducted by the Pew Research Centre, 62% of South Africans viewed immigrants as a burden on society by taking jobs and social benefits and that 61% of South Africans thought that immigrants were more responsible for crime than other groups.

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The increase in the population of the Immigrant community in the country from 2 million to 4 million between 2010 and 2017 makes the menace even more rampant, as insecure South Africans see immigrants as threat enough to warrant such treatment.

Source: Africacelebrities.com