"Communities affected by the violence have engaged amongst themselves and ,although hostility still continues in a few communities, the vast majority of those displaced have been reintegrated," she told a conference on xenophobia in Pretoria.
She was speaking ahead of the Constitutional Court's decision on whether Gauteng refugee shelters could stay open or not.
"It is now time to listen to victims of violence, it is not time for us to accuse each other...it is time to restore peace," she said.
Speaking of her visit to Atteridgeville, Pretoria in March, she said she noticed that people were talking "past each other" about foreigners.
"It will take time for wounds to heal. There is no room for
arrogance."
She added that the loss of over 60 lives in the xenophobic attacks was due to "pure criminality".
This opinion was shared by Minister in the Presidency, Essop Pahad, who called the xenophobic violence which started on May 12 "dastardly" and "systematic attacks" which had no place in a democratic South Africa.
He said the lives of everyone in the country, including documented and undocumented persons, had to be protected.
Pahad said most immigrants contributed to the country's economy.
SA Human Rights Commission chairman Jody Kollapen said although the Constitution made provision for diversity, this was still a very "romantic and elusive" notion.
"We are grappling with who we are," he told delegates.
He said the nation has been deeply damaged and that the stereotyping of people needed to be discussed frankly.
Marivic Garcia of the Centre for Study of Violence and
Reconciliation said reintegration was a complex process that should be done properly. Xenophobia also adversely affected immigrant children.
The Africa Institute of SA's Patrick Matlou said South Africans needed to travel more in Africa to become acquainted with other cultures.
The Methodist Church's Bishop Paul Verryn said that xenophobia was a "world phenomenon" and not restricted to South Africa.
"Another matter which is of deep concern is justice. One can't be seen to be doing for A what we're not doing for B. You can't be seen to be doing for foreign nationals what you're not prepared to do for South Africans."
He added that reintegrating foreigners back into their communities was fraught with anxiety.
The House of Traditional Leaders blamed the attacks on colonialism and the apartheid regime. Kgosi FP Kutama said colonialism had been responsible for dividing peoples and called for borders to be scrapped.
The SA Council of Churches' Eddie Makoe blamed the attacks on the "deterioration" of the nation while railing against the "rationalising of violence".
A representative of the Somali Association of South Africa said it seemed as if South Africans had been given more rights than they could handle, and that this weakened the country's stability.
The conference ends on Tuesday.
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