MAPUTO – The South African High Commission in Mozambique has assured that Mozambican nationals living in South Africa will be protected from xenophobic attacks linked to the so-called Operation Dudula.
High Commissioner Puleng Chaba said Pretoria would hold accountable those behind the movement, which in recent weeks has seen foreigners forced out of communities and denied access to basic services such as health care and education.
For the past three weeks, activist groups and some local communities have carried out campaigns under the Operation Dudula banner, targeting foreigners including Mozambicans.
Chaba distanced the South African government from the actions, stressing that problems facing communities should be addressed through dialogue rather than violence. “We do not encourage crime, we do not encourage violence, but rather the enforcement of the law,” the envoy said.
He added that state institutions had been mobilised to stabilise affected areas and ensure that perpetrators of xenophobic attacks are brought to justice.
The High Commissioner further assured that Mozambicans and other foreign nationals would enjoy the same protection as South Africans, urging them to report incidents directly to local authorities.
Chaba also addressed reports that some foreigners had been denied access to public services, saying the government had already allocated resources to ease the impact while measures were being put in place to restore normal access.
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