South Africa Challenges WHO Characterization of Migrant Deaths
The Presidency and DIRCO assert that the deaths were incidents of organized crime, not xenophobic violence.
Pretoria – The South African government has formally engaged the World Health Organization (WHO) to contest its characterization of recent fatalities linked to immigration tensions.
The Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) assert that the deaths of Ethiopian nationals were incidents of organized crime, not xenophobic violence, and are currently under investigation. The cases involving Mozambican nationals are also being investigated by the South African Police Service.
The government emphasized that only authorized law enforcement officials may enforce immigration laws and reiterated its opposition to vigilante action.
Background
The WHO Director-General had previously stated that five Ethiopian and five Mozambican nationals were killed and thousands displaced in anti-immigrant protests.
South Africa maintains that these incidents are being treated as criminal matters, not acts of xenophobia, and has called for accurate reporting on the nature of the violence.