Zimbabwe says lawbreakers in South Africa Must face justice, rejects intervention

The Zimbabwean government says citizens who commit crimes in South Africa should face the full force of the law, and it will not tell its neighbour how to handle the issue.

South Africa has recently seen a wave of xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals, who have been accused of straining social services and engaging in crime.

Some African countries, including Ghana, have started evacuating their nationals from South Africa.

Speaking in the National Assembly recently, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said the government cannot intervene in South Africa’s domestic affairs.

“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,” Ziyambi said.

He added that it is up to South African authorities to arrest Zimbabweans who break the law there.

“We work with the Government of South Africa, and we are doing everything according to the law,” he said.

“So if there are people who have done something illegal in South Africa, it is the duty of the South African police to arrest them and make sure everyone follows the law.”

Ziyambi said the government is working through diplomatic channels and its embassies to assist Zimbabweans facing difficulties, humiliation or illegal treatment.

“As of now, we have not heard anything through the embassies that widespread beating and killing is happening in South Africa,” he said.

“What we heard is that there were people who went into the streets to demonstrate, and the Government of South Africa did not support it.”

He added that he had seen reports on social media, but the government relies on official channels. *_-Pindula_*