WORLD
Foreign migrants, who are often accused by locals of taking their jobs and contributing to the high crime rate, are estimated to make up more than 10% of South Africa''s population of roughly 49 million.
South Africa will hand out harsh punishments including long jail terms to perpetrators of xenophobic attacks against migrants, police minister Nathi Mthethwa said on Sunday.
Foreign migrants, who are often accused by locals of taking their jobs and contributing to the high crime rate, are estimated to make up more than 10% of South Africa''s population of roughly 49 million.
Many of them are Zimbabweans who have fled economic collapse at home.
In July, South Africa's military was called in to help police patrol an impoverished Johannesburg township after assaults on foreign migrants injured at least 11 and increased concerns of a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks.
Back in 2008, a series of attacks on foreign workers killed 62 people, damaging investor confidence in the country.
"We must continue to be vigilant against any evidence of xenophobia against the African immigrants," said Mthethwa, speaking in the Johannesburg suburb with the largest migrant population.
"It is fundamentally wrong and unacceptable that we should treat people who come to us as friends as though they are our enemies," he was quoted by state media as saying.
Mthethwa said locals who targeted businesses and property belonging to foreigners for destruction would also be dealt with severely, but did not give further details.
He called on both South Africans and foreigners to help police fight crime in Africa's largest economy, which has one of the highest crime rates in the world.
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