By IRNA,
Pretoria : The secretary general of South Africa’s governing ANC on Saturday called on party members to form local committees to combat violence against foreigners.
Gwede Mantashe said that they should work to “take the streets back from criminals”, whilst giving support to the police and help to the victims.
The unrest has now spread to Cape Town, with people assaulted and shops looted.
The army has been deployed to try to put a stop to the attacks.
More than 40 people have died and some 15,000 people have sought shelter since the violence began two weeks ago.
On Thursday, troops were deployed to quell attacks – the first time soldiers have been used to stamp out unrest in South Africa since the 1994 end of apartheid.
In a statement, the African National Congress — ANC’s Mantashe described the violence as “a shameful pogrom”.
“Ill informed and angry with people whom they perceive to be robbing them of their right to services,” he said.
“Is this the truth? The same mob that accused people of being criminals acted in the most obscene of criminal ways.”
“There is no room for this behaviour in our country ever. There is no reason that compels us to behave in the atrocious manner.” Mantashe reminded South Africans of their link to the rest of the continent ahead of Africa Day celebrations on Sunday.
“On Sunday we will wake up in this country and celebrate the victories our forebears have had over colonialism and apartheid,” Mantashe wrote in the party’s weekly newsletter.
“Many of us will think of the kindness we received in the poorest communities of Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Nigeria and many other African states.”
Anti-apartheid fighters in the ANC were given shelter in other African countries, some of which suffered collective punishment as a result, he recalled.