President Thabo Mbeki called South Africa's wave of deadly attacks on immigrants a "disgrace" yesterday and said his government would act firmly to curb the bloodshed amid growing criticism from African nations.
At least 50 people have died and more than 25,000 have fled to refugee centres from the attacks, which have heightened fears for the stability of Africa's largest economy.
In recent months the country has seen a wave of electricity outages, a surge in inflation and discontent over pro-business policies, to a background of uncertainty over political transition as Mr Mbeki nears the end of his final term in 2009.
South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki Photo: Reuters
Mobs, armed with knives, stones and in some cases guns, began attacking African migrants in a Johannesburg shanty town on May 11th. The xenophobic violence has spread to other areas.
"We must acknowledge the events of the past two weeks as an absolute disgrace," Mr Mbeki said in a televised address, his first of the crisis. "Everything possible will be done to bring the perpetrators to justice."
South Africa's government and the ruling ANC have been criticised for their slow reaction to the unrest, the worst since apartheid ended 14 years ago, and for not adequately addressing the poverty widely blamed for sparking the bloodshed.
Mr Mbeki reiterated his government's position that a minority were responsible for the attacks and that they did not reflect the values of the majority of South Africa's 50 million people.
Some poor South Africans accuse foreigners, many of whom are Zimbabweans who have fled an economic meltdown back home, of taking jobs and fuelling violent crime. Rising food and fuel prices have pushed tensions to breaking point.
There are growing calls for Mr Mbeki's government to take steps to quell the waves of refugees and asylum seekers lured by the chance to work in South African mines, factories and farms.
But Mr Mbeki, speaking on the UN's Africa Day, urged South African citizens to be charitable to foreigners and said his nation's prosperity was linked to that of the rest of Africa. "We must remain firm in our commitment to work hard to achieve the goal of the renewal of our continent, understanding that in this circumstance an injury to one is an injury to all," Mr Mbeki said, vowing to resist calls to force migrants into camps.
South Africa's neighbours have expressed concerns about the violence directed against their citizens, thousands of whom have returned home. The unrest has dented South Africa's reputation as one of the most welcoming to immigrants and refugees.
Mozambique said more than 26,000 of its citizens had left.
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa expressed shock that Zambians had been among those targeted by the mobs and pointedly reminded South Africans that his country and others on the continent played a key role in helping end white minority rule.
Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe said his government would offer land to Zimbabweans in South Africa who came home.