WEF Summit begins under a cloud in South Africa as 5 killed in xenophobic attacks
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa kicked off in Cape Town on Wednesday under an enormous cloud following a wave of xenophobic violence which has seen at least five people killed as well as gender-based violence which has seen several female women and children murdered over the past week.
The presidents of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi have decided not to attend the high-profile summit while Nigeria has expressed its strongest condemnation of the attacks on its nationals through diplomatic channels.
The chairman of the African Union Commission (AUC) Moussa Faki Mahamat has condemned the attacks, which have seen numerous suspects arrested in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
In a statement received by PANA, Faki called for "immediate steps to protect the lives of people and their property, ensure that all perpetrators are brought to account for their acts, and that justice be done to those who suffered economic and other losses”.
He reiterated the Commission’s continued commitment to support the South African government in addressing the root causes that led to “these despicable acts”, in order to promote peace and stability, within the framework of the African Union’s longstanding principles of continental solidarity”.
Leaders from 28 African countries are attending the three-day conference which will address economic issues relating to the continent.
These include the need to improve the funding and regulatory environments for start-ups; the development of new partnerships for re-skilling and upskilling workers and how to leverage the new Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement to drive regional integration.
Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki Cele on Wednesday confirmed that two South Africans were among the confirmed fatalities in the xenophobic violence. The nationality of the other three victims has not been revealed.
-0- PANA CU/MA 4Sept2019
