Solidarity’s national congress today in a motion strongly denounced the current wave of xenophobic attacks. The motion calls on government to appoint an independent task team that is chaired by a retired judge. Moreover, the task team has to be a multidisciplinary one.

According to the motion government’s ministerial task team that was appointed today can at most bring immediate relief. “For such a task team to be successful in the long run it has to have an independent character. Moreover, the underlying reasons for the violence must be investigated and relevant recommendations need to be made. The role social media is playing to incite violence must also be included in the probe,” Flip Buys, chairman of the Solidarity Movement, said.

Buys says the reasons for the attacks on foreigners are not simplistic in nature and require a multidimensional response. For this reason Solidarity is requesting a comprehensive and credible investigation.

In the short term Solidarity requests the Police to follow a zero tolerance approach; communities to co-operate with the Police to stop attacks; and politicians from across the spectrum to denounce the attacks.

Buys called on communities and government to prevent a further escalation of the brutal attacks in South Africa. Buys spoke out against the culture of violence in South Africa. He encouraged communities to strengthen their security structures in cooperation with the Police and to protect themselves against crime and violence as much as possible.

Issued by Solidarity