THE Zimbabwean government faces intense domestic scrutiny after telling parliamentarians that it is not aware of xenophobic violence occurring in neighbouring South Africa, signalling a profound lack of awareness regarding the violent wave threatening millions of its nationals.
The issue came to the fore during parliamentary debate following a question from Warren Park legislator Shakespeare Hamauswa who demanded a clear outline of the practical and diplomatic interventions the government has initiated to protect Zimbabwean nationals.
In response, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told legislators that while the State is keeping a watchful eye on developments, the duty of maintaining public order rests strictly with Pretoria.
“We are working with the embassies through the diplomatic channels that we have for our Zimbabweans facing difficulties or humiliation or any other illegal activities that are not good,” he said.
“As for now, we have not heard through the embassies that there is a lot of beating and killing that is happening in South Africa, but what we heard is that there are people who went on the streets to demonstrate and the government of South Africa did not support it.”
Zimbabwe has reiterated its faith in South Africa’s security apparatus, stating that ongoing anti-immigrant protests and criminal actions targeting foreign nationals must be managed directly by law enforcement agencies across the Limpopo.
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Hamauswa’s concerns follow recent campaigns and protests in Johannesburg and Pretoria that have left migrant communities anxious over the potential outbreak of violence.
Ziyambi downplayed fears of an immediate crisis, categorising the reported violent attacks on foreigners, including Zimbabweans in South Africa, as “people who went on the streets to demonstrate”.
“As the government, we work together with the government of South Africa and we are doing everything according to law. So, if there are people who have done something that is outside the law in South Africa, it is the duty of the police officers in South Africa to apprehend them and make sure that each and every individual is following the law,” he said.
“If you are a neighbour, you remain a neighbour. You cannot go to their home and teach them what to do. You remain a good neighbour.”
According to Ziyambi, any criminal or lawless activity arising from the protests falls squarely under the mandate of the South African Police Service (SAPS), who hold the sole sovereign authority to enforce law and order within their borders.
“From our diplomatic relations with South Africa, we also encourage each other, even here in Zimbabwe; if someone comes and is found on the wrong side of the law, that person is apprehended because he or she is forced to follow our laws,” he said.
“Even those police officers in South Africa are supposed to follow the South African laws and anyone.”
Meanwhile, legal experts have warned that rising anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa could trigger a diplomatic fallout and possible isolation from fellow African nations for Pretoria.